Rainbow Eyes
by HPDraco0412
Summary: Draco Malfoy is a pureblood who hates muggles and half-bloods…Right? After an encounter in the woods, he finds it harder to play his father's game. Will he choose the Dark Lord or will he get over his fear of displeasing his father? Draco/OC. First fanfiction so reviews are welcomed!
1. Chapter 1

**Intro: Hey guys! I'm a new writer and have been toying with this idea for a while and decided, why the hell not? In this story, Draco has a curious encounter in the woods and his life starts to get a little more interesting. Continue to read and find out if he gets over his fear of displeasing his father and Dark Lord or if he continues to be the good little soldier he is known as. Comments, likes, and follows are greatly appreciated! I love new ideas and will take them into account as we take this journey together on finding a new version of Draco Malfoy. Characters and Harry Potter all belong to JK Rowling. OC character is mine as well as any others you don't recognize going forward that I might write in. Enjoy! (Or don't. I'll enjoy writing this enough for the both of us, I'm sure!) **

**Italics mean they are character thoughts. This story will mostly be in Draco's POV, but watch for changes. For the purpose of this story, Draco starts as a fifth year as well as my OC character and they are BOTH sixteen. **

**Draco POV**

"Draco, you're a Malfoy and I expect you to continue to act as such when you get to Hogwarts today…"

My father drones on and on about how I will continue to be the Slytherin Prince and uphold the proper image so I don't disgrace the family name. He brings up my short comings and how it was disgraceful that Saint Potter beat me in the last Quidditch game of the year. For the past four years, father has been focused on how I've brought shame upon the family by not winning the House Cup or any Quidditch games against Gryffindor. I _despise _that Potter. This was going to be my year, NOT Potter's.

We keep walking through the woods with a silencing charm on our shoes so we don't snap any branches. I almost trip over my feet again and start to get annoyed. I let out a huff and look up at my father.

"Yes, father. What are we doing here? I should be getting ready to go to King's Cross like mother said." I was starting to get anxious about the feral look in father's eyes as he kept darting them back and forth around the woods looking for something, or someone.

"SILENCE! You need to learn to follow instructions without asking questions or else you will disgrace our Dark Lord when he rises again. He won't be as forgiving with the Cruciatus Curse as I am." After a slight pause, father stops behind a tree and motions for me to stand beside him before pointing at two muggles setting up a tent with a smirk. They had hunting riffles laid against the tree by their tent. It all fell into place and I realized I was about to get another one of father's lessons on where muggles fell in the line of power.

The two muggles looked ordinary enough. Both had brown hair and were wearing ugly flannel looking shirts over a black t-shirt. Their lack of style made me cringe in a way that I knew would make my father proud. To be honest, I don't see why father is obsessed with hating muggles and their lack of power. I have been raised to loathe them, but it took so much more energy to hate them than to ignore their existence. It wasn't often that you run into one. If my father ever heard me say I think they were like us, just non-magical wizards; he would murder me for sure. Silence and fake hatred are better choices.

From the corner of my eye, I see my father take out his wand just as there is a **_SNAP _**from the right of me. The two muggles approach the sound with their riffles. While walking towards the sound, they warn the other to be quiet with their fingers to their lips. I take a glance to my right and see a flash of brown and white, but get pulled back behind the tree so my father can take my place.

"Watch and learn, son." My father starts walking towards the muggles in his dark cloak and draws his wand. Both have noticed him now and stand still looking at him in shock.

"May we help you?" The female muggle is pushed slightly behind the male as he positions himself between the female and my father.

_He is foolish to try and protect her against my father. He should have sacrificed her and ran when he had the chance._

I snap out of my thoughts as I hear my father use the Avada Curse on the two muggles. I watch their bodies drop and spot another flash of brown and white to the right of me. My father walks over to me with a smirk on his face and pockets his wand.

"Come, Draco. They are where they belong now," father states with a flourish of his cloak.

"I'll be back at the house in a moment, father. I would like to stay and soak up the victory a little longer." I almost vomit saying that as I look at the bodies with fake pleasure. I can almost feel my father's pride at my answer as he dismisses my presence with a smug "Very well" before walking past me.

I look behind me after a few moments later to see my father had apparated back to Malfoy Manor. Turning my head back towards the muggles, I see another flash of brown, but this time with a mix of…Rainbow? I take a few steps towards the color and notice movement. It's alive and it's staring at me, whatever it is. I keep creeping forward and the creature darts behind the tree that was covering it moments before.

"No! Wait!" I shout as I rush around the corner in time to see a doe stop and turn towards me. It didn't look like a fawn, but it wasn't fully grown either. If it was a witch, I would guess she would be around my age; fifth year.

She kept backing up away from me slowly like I would attack. Her ears were back, almost flat against the side of her skull. I noticed that when the light hit her eyes just right, they flashed a tiny rainbow at me, almost like a wink.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I said taking a step toward her. She had stopped moving now and her eyes kept darting towards the muggles on the ground who were now in clear view. I sigh and stand with my hands to my sides with my eyes down. Her ears perk up when I start talking again.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. That was my lesson for the day on how muggles shouldn't exist anywhere close to us Purebloods," I pause for a moment before continuing. "And I'm talking to a deer who has _no_ idea what I'm saying."

With another sigh, I look up to see emerald green eyes a few feet away from me. She had gotten close enough for me to touch her face if I reached out my hand. I held my breath as I watched her take another curious step towards me. I lowered my eyes to the ground so she didn't feel threatened and started to slowly lift my right hand towards her. She let out a soft, short grunt and I felt the air hit my hand letting me know I was almost touching her.

After what felt like hours, I felt her soft fur nudge against my hand as she let out another soft grunt. I slowly raised my eyes until I was met with bright green and a flash of rainbow. I let out the breath I was holding and start to stroke the hair above her nose. She grunted and pushed her face against my hand making me smile and let out a tiny chuckle. She must like me?

"DRACO! WE ARE LEAVING!" My father yells from afar and the doe lowers her ears flat against her head again and starts to back away. I look over my shoulder and see the outline of the manor over the trees. I turn back to say goodbye to the doe, but find that she's gone already. I catch myself thinking about my reflection in her green eyes as my father yells my name again. With a huff, I start to run towards the manor so I don't get left behind.

Later as I board the train and find my main compartment, I'm left thinking about green eyes and the rainbow aura that seemed to swim around the edges of her irises. I'm snapped out of my thoughts by the most annoying voice in the entire world; Pansy Parkinson.

"DRACKIE!" I roll my eyes and remind myself that this _will_ be my year. Hopefully it'll also be the year I get rid of Pansy Parkinson.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! It has been two days, but it has felt like FOREVER! Lol, anyway, enjoy the next chapter and send me your reviews and any ideas you have! I was itching to write this chapter from my original character's perspective so here it is. Enjoy!**

**Briar POV**

I watch him as he entertains his friends during the Welcome Back ceremony in the Main Hall. Dumbledore had started his yearly speech when a tiny woman who looked _remarkably _like a flamingo, interrupted him by clearing her throat. I'm not sure what she said past the fact her name was Umbridge. I was too distracted by the power struggle between her and Dumbledore.

_I wonder if she knows how ridiculous she looks in that outfit? How can a woman that tiny be so annoying…?_

When she is done droning on about how the Ministry is basically taking over Hogwarts, she finally goes to take a seat. I focus my eyes back on my target to notice Pansy is trying, yet again, to fuse her body to his arm while he shakes her off in disgust. I let out of silent laugh and return my eyes to my book. I'm not going to lie, I kind of feel bad for the girl. She's so blinded with love, or her family's need for power by joining their families; that she can't see how repulsed Malfoy is by her touching him. It has quickly become my favorite scene to watch during meal times.

The book my nose is stuffed in is a great way to be invisible here at Hogwarts. Ever since I was sorted my first year, I made it my priority to become the one who watches everything that goes on in Slytherin. Many assume I'm a Ravenclaw because of the inevitable book adorning my face, but it's okay that my house mates can't recognize me in the halls. It makes my mission easier since I won't be distracted by something as trivial as being popular like Malfoy.

**_SLAM! _**The sound of a book being harshly set on the table across from me by my only friend, Grace, catches my attention. Hey, I said I didn't want to be popular. I never said I was a hermit.

"My Queen, I regret to inform you that your eyes are wandering _again _from that precious book of yours. Maybe you should just go mount him and get it over with," Grace says with a teasing smirk and a dramatic entrance. Some students around us stare at us like we've lost our minds. After the Triwizard Tournament last year, it's not that impossible. Cedric's death impacted more people than just Harry Potter…

_Maybe being a hermit _wouldn't _be such a bad thing… _

"Will you stop calling me your Queen? People are going to…"

"…start noticing you. I know," she says finishing my sentence and rolling her eyes. "Just because you have all powerful wandless magic, that doesn't mean you have to seclude yourself from meeting new friends and you know, living? That thing teenagers are meant to do?"

I huff and carefully fold my book cover into the page I'm on and set the book softly onto the table. It's a limited edition about how magic came to be and I _definitely _can't damage it. It's too precious to learning more about my magic.

"Grace, you know that if a certain someone knows I exist, then my chances of helping to defeat him is greatly diminished and I can't let that happen. And I'm not all powerful so shut up."

She stifles the smile threatening to split her face in half behind her hands as I feel the corners of my lips pull up at the corners. I give her a playful smirk and she lets out a loud laugh that can only be described as a cackle. I start to giggle a little as I pick up my book again noticing that people around us have started to look at us as Grace finally gets her laughing under control.

_So much for staying invisible. But maybe Grace is right? Could I have a life while trying to stay hidden from the Dark Lord who would come for me if he knew of my powers? Could I complete my mission and not get hurt? _

As I think that and hear Grace's muffled remark of "That's utter bull and you know it," I sneak a glance and am met with piercing blue-gray eyes. The same eyes I saw earlier this morning that made me forget about the violence I had watched at the hands of his father. I still couldn't think of anything, but the security I felt when he had his hand on my face with two muggles laying not even twenty feet away from us.

_Don't get attached. You have a task to complete. You promised Ced._

He sees me looking and sends his signature smirk my way. I know he expects me to blush and look away like his flock of followers so I meet his stare with a smirk that challenges his. His smirk falls a little and I see something flash in his eyes. Surprise? I turn my attention back to Grace who is trying to convince me my wandless magic is more interesting than I make it out to be and start to stand up.

"As fun as this has been, I have some homework to get done so I'll see you in the morning. Don't get into _too _much trouble while I'm gone, Little Gray." She snorts and I send her a final smirk as I gather my book and make for the entrance of the Great Hall. As I turn the corner to continue down the hall, I can't help but feel his eyes following my every move.

My name is Briar Griffin. I'm a powerful Animagus and witch with rare magic given to me at birth. I have many magical gifts including my eyes. Both of my parents died at the hands of the Dark Lord and my half-brother, Cedric Diggory, is the only reason I'm alive. My mission is to help Harry Potter avenge Ced and take down Voldemort as a hidden weapon, but can I do that when all I can think about is stormy blue eyes?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Wow, it's been awhile! This chapter jumps right into the scene with Umbridge being a *insert specific word that you wish to use* and telling the students that Voldemort isn't back. Also, does anyone know what Draco was doing during that scene because he looked like he was looking at the floor for a little while in the shot before Umbridge came in…? Anyways, go read! Go, do it! Come on, I know you want to ;)**

**Draco POV**

I ignore the paper bird flying around the room and place my bag on the floor before sitting up. The Gryffindor with the Irish accent hits at the paper and catches its wing. It circles around to where Crabbe uses a sling shot to hit it and actually manages to hit its wing.

_Maybe he's not as useless as I thought._

I start to lean forward to rest my head on the desk as I didn't get much sleep last night. Every time I closed my eyes, I kept seeing rainbow glinting from that doe's eyes. I normally don't sleep well at night because of nightmares, but to have a doe be the reason I'm up late at night? There was just something familiar about her eyes and I couldn't place my finger on it.

The girl I noticed at the Welcome Back ceremony was also stuck in my mind, but that made more sense. She smirked back at me and wasn't intimidated at all. A girl not falling for my charms should have made me more unsettled than a doe's eyes and the feel of her fur against my hand, yet those green eyes…

I see the bird catching on fire in my peripheral vision. I turn my head and watch Umbridge walk past the last row of seats while she starts her lesson. I catch green eyes as we follow Umbridge's movements and she sends a smirk at me before looking away. Who was this alluring witch?

I lean over towards Pansy sitting next to me and ask quietly as I gesture at the brunette two rows to our left. She glances over and sneers at her before responding.

"You mean Griffin?" She scoffs. "That's Diggory's half-sister. From what I hear, she's kind of a loner. No one really knows anything about her. I think she might be a Ravenclaw." She stops talking when she notices I'm still staring her down trying to catch her eye again.

_Her eyes are a bright green. I just need to see them again to figure out why they look familiar._

This thought is interrupted by Pansy leaning into my view of the mystery green eyed Ravenclaw. I lean back so I'm not as close to her face and let out a huff.

"Yes, Parkinson?" I ask with irritation dripping from my tone.

"Why are you so obsessed with Griffin?" I scoff and reply while slowly tuning back into class now that I realize Potter and Umbridge are arguing about something.

"I'm not. Was just curious."

"Now let me make this quite plain," Umbridge says. "You have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."

"It's not a lie. I saw him. I fought him!"

_Yes, unfortunately you did Potter. Caused a lot of trouble for my father, you slimy git._

"Detention, Mr. Potter!" _Yep, this is my year. Maybe this pink atrocity isn't so bad after all. _

"So according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord?"

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident." It clicks in my head that I now know he had a half-sister. I look over at her and can tell from her face that Umbridge is not the most trustworthy source. Griffin's hands clench on the top of her desk to the point where I know, from personal experience, her fingernails will leave a mark. I look up at her face and see a glimpse of…rainbow?

_Did her eyes just…? _

"It was murder! Voldemort killed him; you must know that!"

"**ENOUGH**!" My head snaps forward to look at what is happening in the front of the classroom. "Enough. See me later, Mr. Potter. My office."

She lets out a horrid giggle and smiles at the class. After a few seconds of awkwardly staring around at the class, I risk a glance at Griffin and see her hands have relaxed a little, but she still looks ready to murder. She somehow senses me looking at her and gives me a glance for a few seconds. It wasn't long enough to get a read on her emotions, but it was long enough to see those green eyes again.

_Where have I seen you before?_

The class stands and starts to file out so I break my glance long enough to bend down and quickly grab my bag, but by the time I look up again, all I see is a flash of brown hair quickly moving through the door. I stand and quicken my pace to shove past people earning myself a reprieve from Parkinson who is yelling that horrid nickname at me. I block her screech out and focus on the fact that the mysterious Ravenclaw I'm chasing after flashed rainbow in her eyes like the doe.

_What was the chance of her eyes doing the same thing as the doe's? I need answers. _

I see her quickly turn around a corner and push my body into a jog to get to her. All I see when I turn the corner is a long, empty hallway. I was only a few seconds behind her. How could she have gotten so far in such a short time? After searching the hallways for a minute, I realize she is somehow long gone by now. It'll have to wait until the next time I see her in the Great Hall. I let out a frustrated huff and make my way back to the Slytherin Common Room for the night to wait for dinner.

* * *

I lean back against the door to the Room of Requirement and try to breath. That atrocious woman saying Cedric's murder was an accident set me off and I could feel my Animagus stir inside of me. Looking down at my hands, I see the half crescent moons start to heal themselves. I look around the room and see an open field with large tree with lots of shade under the low reaching branches. I take a deep breath through my nose and smell the trees, flowers, water, and _him_. I can smell him running past the door trying to find where I went. He smells of pine, cologne, and impatience?

My eyes flash rainbow and I can feel my Animagus fighting to come out. I could fight it and gain control, but the emotions of Cedric's death are becoming too much for me again. My Animagus wants to comfort me in its warmth of minimal thought aside from survival. Once my hooves hit the soft grass, I let out a sigh and prance towards the tree before laying under its branches that hide me from the rest of the room. Closing my eyes, I try to calm my frantic heart as I can still smell him pacing outside.

_Cedric's death was not an accident. I saw what he did to him._

The last thing I hear before I close my eyes is silence. He's standing right outside.


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright, everyone! We're gonna throw in some third person in this chapter to mix it up a bit. This originally was not in the story, but I wanted to introduce the relationship between my OC, Dumbledore, and Snape earlier on so there's a better flow so enjoy the bonus chapter. **

**Briar POV**

**Three Years Ago**

"Briar! What's all the fuss about, child?" Dumbledore looks down at the eleven-year-old version of Briar with confusion. She stands in front of Snape and Dumbledore in Snape's office. Tears run down her face as she sobs in confusion and fear.

"I'm sorry, Dumbledore. I didn't mean to interrupt, but I think Harry is in trouble." Dumbledore looks at Briar and takes a few steps forward.

"Why would you think that, Ms. Griffin?" he asks cautiously.

"Yes, Ms. Griffin. How could you possibly know about Mr. Potter's whereabouts?" Snape asks her in his monotone voice with a stony face.

"I…I saw him in my…nightmare…" The young witch looks down at her hands that are now trying to ring themselves out nervously realizing how absolutely mad that sounds. "I know that sounds mad, but I just feel that my nightmare was real like some that I had when I was younger. It felt like I was there standing next to her." The second-year stares at the ground, but what she doesn't see is Snape and Dumbledore exchanging a look of surprise.

"Her, my dear child? Who was she?" Dumbledore takes another step towards Briar and takes her hands in his causing the witch to gaze up at him with glassy eyes.

"The Weasley girl. She was laying on the ground unconscious with a journal next to her. Harry was there too trying to wake her up and there was another boy I didn't recognize." Dumbledore looks to Snape and tells him to quickly tell Fawkes to go find Harry and then report back to him. Snape whips his cloak behind him and briskly walks out of the room without a backwards glance as the second-year witch stares after him in confusion. Dumbledore looks down at Briar and his face hardens slightly as if ready to tell the young child bad news.

"Briar, how long have you had the gift of sight?" With a confused tilt of her head, Briar stares at Dumbledore with a question swimming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Head Master, but what is the gift of sight?" Dumbledore goes around to the back of Snape's desk and takes a seat at his chair.

"Ms. Griffin, how much do you know about what Professor Trelawney does?" Unfortunately, the young witch is only able to remember what the other Slytherins think and that's that she's insane. She looks down in shame with guilt written across her face.

"Not much," is her meek reply.

"She has the gift of sight which means she tells prophecies and is very skilled in divination. What you did in your dream tonight is a gift of sight like her. If you're able to see prophecies, or rather things about to happen; you can hone that skill and use it to your advantage like she does."

"So what you're telling me is that Harry is actually in trouble and I might have just…"

"…saved his life? Yes. That is exactly what I'm saying." He pauses for a moment before continuing. "You're a very powerful witch, Briar. I would very much like to help you in developing them as you get older and help you harness them, if you'll allow me that is. Would you like to start training now?"

The young witch eagerly bobs her head up and down and listens to him with rapt attention on what he has to say next.

* * *

**Six Months Ago **

"Mother, I have to go! The tournament is starting and I told Cedric that I would go to support him. I can't let my friend down!" Fourth year Briar starts to walk away from her mother who had come for a surprise visit.

"Briar, don't you dare walk away from me! I came here to tell you very important news." Briar rolled her eyes.

"Yes, mother, it's _always _important news, but I have made a promise to Ced and I will not break it. I know you don't like that I'm becoming friends with more students, but I can finish my mission of getting information on Malfoy and the rest of the Death Eater children while enjoying my time here at Hogwarts as a _normal _student. Now, if you'll excuse me, I told Cedric I'd meet him at…"

"He's your half-brother!" Briar stopped walking and stared at her mother with a bewildered look. Helena Griffin stared at her daughter with watery eyes and waited for her to say something.

"…That's not funny, mother. I don't find that funny," she stated in a low voice. Her eyes flashed and her mother knew she was losing her temper.

"It's not a joke. Go to the last task. Let your head process that information and find me after the game. I have a lot I need to tell you. I'm so sorry, Briar."

While sitting in the stands, Briar looks around the crowd until her eyes fell on Amos Diggory. Grace and Briar wear yellow and black in support of their friend, Cedric, sporting yellow and black scarves, a yellow t-shirt, and black pants under their Slytherin cloaks. Grace nudges Briar and stares at her in concern.

"Mama Griff, are you okay?" Briar flashes her a look of sadness and Grace looks at her in sympathy as her friend had already told her the news. "Let's just cheer him on and then you can talk with him after the tournament. I'm sure he can answer some of your questions."

With a flash, Harry and Cedric appear on the turf and the band starts to play. Briar and Grace cheer Cedric's name and celebrate with the rest of the crowd until Amos Diggory's sobs were heard clearly over the hushed crowd.

"MY BOY! NOOOOOO! THAT'S MY SON!"

Grace looks to Briar in concern and notices the blank look on her face, however, she wasn't the only one to notice. A few seats down, a fellow Slytherin was smirking in triumph over the Dark Lord's success and was waiting for the opportune moment to use that information against the fourth-year witch.

Briar stares at Cedric's body as chills run down her spine. She walks numbly through the crowd back to the Room of Requirement with a vacant look in her eye. Dumbledore had helped her find it after one of her emotional bursts in training and she knew she would need it for the power surging through her at that moment.

She had only just found him, but now her half-brother and friend were dead. Her only thought in that moment was of the Dark Lord's demise and as she sat sobbing in the Room of Requirement, her mind was already formulating a plan to help Potter take down Voldemort. He would pay for taking her best friend and half-brother away from her so suddenly.


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is going to be a little bit of a time jump. The next scene we really see Draco in is where Hermione is asking Ron if he ever stops eating so that'll be a part of this chapter even though he was in the background. Enjoy a little more of Draco's knowledge on my OC that he has learned over the following few weeks. Get ready for a long chapter to make up for the amount of time it took for me to upload! You're welcome :***

**Draco POV**

I sit in the library with a book on rare magic in front of me on the table. Nowhere in the books I've scoured does it mention eyes that flash rainbow which has been the theme for the past six weeks. After I tried following Griffin that day after Umbridge's class, I have tried to learn more about her, but every time I have gotten close to catching up to her; she has disappeared into thin air. My research has been nothing but dead ends since I started this useless hunt on a girl that doesn't want anything to do with me. I have, however, learned a little more through the fear of the younger students here at Hogwarts.

The past six weeks have further strengthened my need to find out more about the clever witch that has evaded all of my approaches in trying to corner her. My fascination, I tell myself, is all because I know she has answers about the doe I saw. It has nothing to do with the fact that she confuses and slightly intrigues me with her invisibility here at school. No, I was not enamored with the witch that I only knew the last name of. I think of the little information I have been able to learn about her.

Griffin is, in fact, a Slytherin, not a Ravenclaw. While I haven't been able to figure out why I saw a flash of rainbow from her eyes that time in Umbridge's class, I can assume she has a connection to the doe I saw near the Malfoy manor that day before I boarded the train. She is Diggory's half-sister and no one knows about her parents so I assume they are not important enough to know about. The last thing I learned, but definitely the most important, is Griffin is a ghost. The only person I ever see her around is a brunette that sits with her at the end of the Slytherin table in the Great Hall; Grace Nelson. Well, that is, when I see her which is rare nowadays.

Speaking of Griffin, she has not met my eye since that day I almost cornered her after our DADA class. After that day, I have only ever seen her in class. Every meal, I keep my eyes open to see her walk into the Great Hall, but every day is just another day that passes with me seeing Nelson alone at the end of the table with her nose in a book.

_I guess they have that in common since Griffin is obsessed with books too. Not that I've noticed her love of books at all…That's not something a Malfoy would notice. I do have a reputation to uphold after all._

I huff in annoyance and close the book to start walking to the Great Hall since dinner would be starting soon. As I walk to the Great Hall, I notice a student being consoled by their friends while they look at the writing on her hand. Over the past few weeks, I've noticed the marks on certain student's arms that Umbridge has deemed insubordinate and defiant like Potter, but I haven't known any of them personally so I have ignored it. I have gotten many letters from my father demanding I get close to her as she is an ideal candidate for recruitment if she continues to prove she is not afraid of dishing out punishment.

Striding into the Great Hall, I make my way past a group of Slytherin girls whispering to themselves. When they see me, they stop to flutter their eyelashes at me which I reward with my signature smirk. They giggle and go back to talking, but have most likely changed the topic to me. Girls like this don't phase me after all these years. Since I've turned 16, I focus more on gaining more loyal friends who look up to me as a leader like my father wants. I have to keep father happy at all costs.

_Although, if a certain green eyed witch gave me the time of day, I would make an exception and deviate from that task a little bit._

Sitting down, Crabbe and Goyle immediately gather around me and start filling me in on the details of the day that I missed. Those two were always somewhere close so they could keep me informed. Other fellow Slytherins come to take a seat, but soon our attention is drawn to two female voices outside the Great Hall. I stand with Crabbe and Goyle and follow them to see what all the fuss is about.

"Not at all Dolores. Merely your medieval methods."

Just as I hear this, I notice a flash of brown hair to my right and look to see Griffin standing next to that Nelson girl. After hearing McGonagall refer to Umbridge's methods in detention, I see her rub her arm with a slightly pained face.

_Was she one of the ones Umbridge tortured in detention?_

"I'm sorry dear, but to question my practices is to question the Ministry and by extension, the Minister himself. I am a tolerant woman, but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty."

McGonagall takes a step down as if in shock before continuing to repeat the word disloyalty in disbelief. Umbridge steps up one more step before speaking again to all of the students that have gathered now in the hallway.

"Things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared. Cornelius will want to take immediate action."

She stands there for a moment more before raising her chin and walking up the stairs presumably to her office to call the Minister. McGonagall turns to look at all of us and stands for a moment just scanning the crowd in front of her. My eyes flit over to my right again and see Nelson has disappeared and Griffin is walking the opposite direction of the Great Hall. I faintly hear McGonagall barking out an order for students to return to their meal while I rush to push through the crowd of students to follow Griffin.

_You're not getting away this time._

After following her for a few minutes, I see her skirt around the last corner before stalling in the middle of the hallway with her shoulders slightly raised. I take a few steps back and hide behind the wall to see what she will do next. As she stands there with shocking stiffness, I realize this is the hallway I lost her in six weeks ago.

I hear her let out a quiet sniffle that slightly shakes her shoulders and then hear an even quieter _no _escape her mouth. Suddenly, I hear and see a door being formed out of nowhere on her left. Once the door is done forming, she races to open the door and rushes through it. It closes with a quiet click and I quietly walk to get in front of the door. With my mouth slightly open, I realize why I couldn't find her that day after DADA class.

_The little minx found the Room of Requirement._

Shaking my head slightly with pride, I get over the shock of my discovery and realize now is the perfect time to get answers from my mysterious witch that has filled my head for the past few weeks. Now that I know she was one of Umbridge's chosen students for torture, I want even more answers. The thought of how I should torture and end Dolores Umbridge, of course, didn't cross my mind at all_._

Keeping in mind the rules of the Room of Requirement from stories my mother use to tell me, I focus on what I want to be in the room. I focus on her green eyes, her captivating smirk, and the sight of her rubbing her arm a few moments ago. I take the few steps to the door and open the door that holds all of my question's answers. What I see behind that door, however, just adds to the questions I had.

_Where am I?_

After surveying the room for a few moments, I hear a loud _SNAP_and quickly dart my eyes over to my left. Green eyes meet my blue ones. The green eyes that have haunted my dreams every night since I got back to Hogwarts are finally looking at mine again, yet now I have to second guess my theory about who or _what_those mysterious eyes belong to…

* * *

After hearing Umbridge give that speech about her practices, I feel like my arm is on fire. It almost feels like it's happening all over again. Rushing out of the hallway in the opposite direction of the Great Hall, I make my way quickly to the Room of Requirement. I keep my eyes down knowing my eyes are flashing as my Animagus is fighting for control. The only answer I have been able to find in the books I've read in the past few weeks to explain my eyes is that rare magic has a certain level of unexplainable power to it. In my case, my eyes are a display of my powers being heightened due to my emotions which causes the rainbow flash. If I didn't retreat and shift into my Animagus form every time my strong emotions flared up, I would be able to harness an overwhelming amount of power and use it my advantage.

_You would be able to be powerful enough to complete your task if you stopped running like a coward._

I suddenly freeze in the middle of the hallway right outside one of the entrances to the Room of Requirement. I feel my emotions start to get the best of me and I know I should stay human so I can face the thoughts running through my mind about how Cedric's pain must have been quicker than the torture Umbridge bestowed on me a week ago, but I know it's easier to shift into my Animagus. I can be brave and deal with these negative emotions, right?

A tear runs down my face as I hear myself sniffle and feel my shoulders shake slightly from the force of the light sniffle. I let out a quiet _no _and realize I'm not strong enough yet to deal with these emotions because they're not just about my detention or Cedric's death. They're about my destiny.

Finally, the stone doors appear and welcome me with open arms as I quickly turn and run inside. The door softly clicks behind me and, knowing I'm safe, I shift into my Animagus form. I take refuge under my tree that shields me from the rest of the room and feel the comfort of the simple thoughts that come with this form. There's nothing that fills my mind other than the sounds of the birds quietly chirping around me and the door closing.

_Wait, door closing?_

I lift my head that was resting on the grass and take a cautious sniff. I smell the natural scent of the forest and flowers that surround me. I even smell some of the animals I know are in the room somewhere, but what I don't expect to smell is _him. _I stand up quickly and realize he was able to find me.

_He followed me when I had my guard down. I was trained to be more cautious! This is why Dumbledore says to never let emotion get too out of hand._

I hear his feet walking slowly on the grass as I start to walk towards the sound of him. Soon, I'm peeking through the leaves of the weeping willow tree I'm shaded by and see him looking around in wonder. I take another step forward to get a closer look and my hoof steps on a branch with a loud _SNAP._

His eyes snap up and meet mine through the branches. I know he can see me in my Animagus form as the weeping willow doesn't fully reach the ground and has gaps in its branches, but I just stand there in shock. It isn't long before he puts two and two together. He wasn't meant to find out who I was at all, let alone that I was the doe in the forest by Malfoy Manor.

_Dumbledore is going to murder me._

Blue meets green and I know there isn't much time left before he figures out the truth…But at the same time I find myself asking myself a question.

_Would it be so bad if he knew?_


	6. Chapter 6

**Briar POV**

**Previously…**

His eyes snap up and meet mine through the branches. I know he can see me in my Animagus form as the weeping willow doesn't fully reach the ground and has gaps in its branches, but I just stand there in shock. It isn't long before he puts two and two together. He wasn't meant to find out who I was at all, let alone that I was the doe in the forest by Malfoy Manor.

_Dumbledore is going to murder me._

Blue meets green and I know there isn't much time left before he figures out the truth…But at the same time I find myself asking myself a question.

_Would it be so bad if he knew?_

* * *

**Draco POV**

I, Draco Malfoy, am an absolute git. Here I am staring at a doe because my subconscious couldn't even conjure up a green-eyed girl properly.

_Really? The doe is in front of me instead of Griffin. Do I have a bizarre crush on a bloody doe? Father would have a field day with this situation. _

The doe stares back at me in confusion as I pull at my hair and pace back and forth while swearing.

"Bloody hell. I just conjured up the Room of Requirement for the first time and the first thing I conjure up is a bloody DOE? Fucking Griffin must have gone out another door I don't know about."

When I turn to start pacing in the other direction again, I turn and almost run right into the source of my restless nights.

_Those damn eyes. How does a doe have bright green eyes?_

"You enjoying the show, HUH? You're probably not even here, are you? You're just an image the Room of Requirement conjured up to fuck with me! Griffin must be a bloody ghost that I'm being haunted by." I continue to pull at my hair and notice the doe has started to back up slowly, but stops when I mention Griffin. With a huff, I let my weight pull me towards the floor and sit letting my head fall into my right hand.

"And here I am talking to a doe again who has no idea what I'm talking about. I must be going mad." I run my hands through my hair again before realizing there's something lying next to me. I turn my head to the right and snort when I realize the doe has laid down next to me and is staring into my soul with her unnaturally bright green eyes. She huffs out a short grunt at me and nudges my leg with her nose. Taking that as her way of saying she's real, I raise my right hand and slowly raise it towards her nose much like that day in the forest. Not too long after, she is nudging her nose into my hand and I can't help but reminisce about standing in the forest doing that same thing a few months ago.

"Where did you come from?"

_And why are you the only one that sees me when I'm this vulnerable? _

She lets out another grunt and almost seems to smirk at me. I pull my hand back and rest my head in my left hand so I can look at her.

"Right, keep your secrets then. It's not like you could tell me anyway. If you could talk, I'm sure all of Hogwarts would know the infamous Draco Malfoy has gone mad and confides in a doe." The doe lets out a snort causing me to stare at her.

_She really seems to be trying to communicate with me like she understands me…_

After staring at her for a few seconds more, I decide that she must think I'm mad anyway so what's the harm in just talking to myself to process my thoughts?

"This Griffin though, she's getting under my skin." The doe's ears perk up again causing me to let out a chuckle. "Every time I think I have her cornered, she disappears. She's a rather clever witch even though I hate to admit it. After that day in the forest, it makes sense why I was confused about you because who gets that close to a doe and actually has a conversation with them? But Griffin…Her eyes do the same thing yours does; they flash rainbow sometimes. If you could talk, I'm sure I'd be able to get some answers from you, but no matter how mad I am for talking to you, at least I know that a doe talking back is still impossible. Right?"

The doe just looks at him and part of him sighs in relief on the inside because stranger things have happened. At this point, a talking doe would just be icing on a butterbeer cake.

"Of course you don't talk." I hear voices outside the Room of Requirement and realize it must be time to get back to the Slytherin Common Room before the prefects start patrolling the hallways. I stand and start to walk towards the door that slowly appears in front of me. With my hand on the door, I pause and look back at the doe to notice she's now walking back towards the weeping willow I saw her under before. I whisper a quick thank you before raising my voice and putting on my Slytherin Prince act.

"You better not repeat what was said in this room, or else my father will turn you into a decoration in our Manor." The doe stops to look at me over her shoulder and I could have sworn she rolled her eyes at me when she let out a short grunt. I shake my head and quickly walk out of the room. Turning to watch the door slowly disappear, I wonder why I couldn't find Griffin again when I should have been right behind her. Discarding the thought from my head, I walk back to the Common Room keeping my signature smirk on my face for those that pass by me.

_Can't have word getting back to father that the Slytherin Prince is acting anything, but a proper arse._

Giving the portrait the password, I glide into the Slytherin Common Room and make my way towards my room. Unfortunately, I don't make it past the main room.

"DRACKIE!" I stop walking and cringe before turning towards the source of the voice.

"What did I say about calling me that, Parkinson?"

_This witch really couldn't take a hint that I wasn't interested._

She let out a pout and said, "But you love when I call you that, Drackie!"

Rolling my eyes, I sneer at her and respond with as much coldness as I can after noticing a crowd is starting to watch discreetly.

"Really? Is me constantly telling you not to call me that what gave you that idea? I'm never going to be interested Parkinson. Give it up." I turn and start to walk away before she says something that has my hair standing on end.

"This is because of that bitch Griffin, isn't it? Don't think I haven't noticed you asking around about her. She better watch her back if she thinks I'll give you up that easily." Turning my head one last time to look at her, I see a satisfied smirk on her face, but watch it fall instantly after my response.

"I was never yours Parkinson. You were just easy to get into bed and rather horrible too might I add. I'd suggest staying away from Griffin unless you want me to be your enemy," I say with malice and watch her face pale a little in fear. Everyone has seen what I do to those that are my enemies and are cautious to stay on my good side within Slytherin. I take one last glance around the room to see some chuckling at Parkinson's misfortune for getting on my bad side.

Finally making it up the stairs and getting to my private room, thanks to my father; I head towards the large king sized bed by the window. Loosening my tie and discarding my robes into my trunk at the end of my bed, I find a change of black and green flannel pants and a black t-shirt for bed. Ever since that day in the woods, the flannel has reminded me of the death of those two muggles, but I know they would have died no matter what they were wearing. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Settling into my bed, I look out the window at the grounds of Hogwarts. Somewhere out there, my father was pulling strings to get on the good side of the Dark Lord so he could convince him to summon me into his ranks. I sigh at what is quickly becoming my father's path for me and get under the covers. Closing my eyes, I know I'll see her green eyes in my dreams, but tonight? The dreams are welcomed now that I feel I have someone to confide in about my confusing admiration for Griffin even if that confidant is a doe. With one last deep breath, I succumb to sleep until the next day at Hogwarts.

_I will corner you one day, Griffin. I will get answers. _


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello everyone! I realize I didn't do an author's note for the last chapter so here you go! This chapter will be in Briar's point of view. VERY important note, make sure you review with ideas because if you guess what will happen…Well, nothing will happen, but you can feel great about yourself for being creative? The first excerpt of this chapter is just something I read online that was a theory on how magic began and I thought it was cool so I added some of my thoughts and went with it. Anyway, onward my fellow HP fans!**

**Briar POV**

_The origins of magic have been a complex discussion since the beginning of time. For centuries, the source of magic has been questioned over and over again as many try to get to the bottom of where it all started. There are many that believe magic just simply existed, but there are others that believe magic came from special forces within nature and magic was a gift to those that completed good deeds that helped nature and its creatures thrive. _

_With this thought in mind, many believe that the only way to become close to those forces is to become one's purest form; one with nature. Some theorize that being an Animagus is one's purest form, yet all Animagi that participated in a study were unsuccessful in experiencing the rare magic in question. While this does not confirm nor deny a wizard or witch's magical strength based on their Animagus form, the study was inconclusive in proving the Animagus within them was the source of an increase in strength due to their emotional state. _

_Many centuries ago, there were tales of witches and wizards that were able to utilize power from their emotions. However, as with all magic, there is a danger of overstepping the line between light and dark. While there are no witches or wizards known that have this ability, it doesn't stop me from wondering if they do exist. If a witch or wizard is able to harness their emotional powers, they may one day be able to…_

I go to turn the page even though I know the rest is torn out. I fold the pages back up and stuff them back into my school bag and huff out a sigh of frustration. The pages were a gift left to me by my mother in her will after her and my father were murdered at the hands of Voldemort. They suffered a fate worse than death from what Dumbledore told me. He still refuses to tell me what actually happened, but I know that these pages have something to do with their murder. I have been trying to figure out what my powers have to do with me being able to help stop Voldemort, but without the rest of the pages…

"Oh no, is her Royal Highness stressed? You're stressed, aren't you? You're doing that thing with your forehead where it scrunches up to look like a new born Hippogriff's ass." Grace sits down across from me at the Slytherin table. Well, sit wouldn't be the best word to use as she is practically vibrating where she sits. I neatly fold my hands on the table and look at her with an inquisitive look as I try to theorize what's wrong with her in my head. Finally, coming to a conclusion with a purse of my lips, I open my mouth and start to list my conclusions.

"First of all, I'm going to stay away from asking how you know what a new born Hippogriff's ass looks like. Second of all, again with the titles? Really? Do I look anything like royalty to you? Lastly, what the _bloody _hell did you drink this morning that has you buzzing so much? You could glow in the dark brighter than a Hinkypunk with all the energy you're producing from your vibrations." Grace lets out a chuckle and waves her hand at me in a dismissive way before leaning forward towards me as more students file into the Great Hall.

"Briar, you know my father works with magical creatures. Let's just say last summer was very educational about the miracle of Hippogriffs. As for the royalty, you have a thing for a _certain _Prince here at Hogwarts so it's only a matter of time before you're dubbed the Princess of Slytherin. Don't deny it, your eyes have been glancing back and forth at him since the second you sat down." I blush and look down at the table and think about the meetings I've been having with Draco for the past two weeks. Almost every day, he has come to surprise me in the Room of Requirement to let out his thoughts and frustrations. I'm sure he is only comfortable letting his deepest thoughts out because he thinks my Animagus isn't real. If he knew it was me he was confiding in…I shiver and tune back in as she continues. "And I drank a _lot _of Pumpkin Juice, but I put a little something extra in it so I can stay awake for Umbridge's class. Well, saying it's a class is a joke because we both know the only thing that woman is teaching is how to handle pain in her pink torture room. Have you _seen _how many cats are in that room?" Grace stops speaking to widen her eyes at me dramatically before whispering "So many eyes" at me.

I let out a laugh and shake my head at her foolishness. Without her, I probably would have died from a stress induced heart attack after this past year. My smile slips a little as I think about Cedric. He was only two years older than me. That could just as easily be me within the next year if I don't start to harness my powers. My sessions with Dumbledore haven't been as successful as I would hope.

Grace places her hand on my still folded hands and gives me a sympathetic smile as her hazel eyes bear into my soul.

"It's okay to miss him. He was a great guy in the time you got to know him. Be grateful you got to know him even if it was only for a few months before he died." I think to all the time we could have had if my mother hadn't kept me away from him. She always said there was a time and place, but that it wasn't time to meet him. She was always a mysterious woman.

My mother was Helena Turner who married Cedric's father, Amos, right after school and had Ced. When Ced was almost two, she fell pregnant with me and decided she loved my father more than Amos and left him. She still tried to be a part of Cedric's life, but Amos didn't want her around as much after she chose to marry Ben, my father. Ben Griffin was a very famous Auror and quickly made allies in the highest ranks of the Ministry with his personality. I'm sure that is what lead to him becoming a target for the Dark Lord.

"Look at the two sad little faces. Sadness is not welcomed in Slytherin, little girls. If you're going to have a heart to heart, go over to the Gryffindor table. I'm sure they'll welcome an orphan and a blood traitor with open arms." Pansy bloody Parkinson. I could feel my magic crackling under my skin like electricity waiting to be unleashed. I kept my head facing forward so her smirking face wouldn't get the satisfaction of seeing my anger starting to slowly build.

"I'm sorry, did you mean to speak to us? Last I checked, you only speak to proper assholes who care more about your daddy's money than you." I know it was a low blow to say she was only attractive to Slytherin pureblood families for her money, but she made an indirect insult about my family. I could almost feel her smirk fall from her face.

"Why you little bitch! At least I have a family! You're nothing but an orphaned charity case because your brother was probably too incompetent to defend himself. That's what happened, huh? He wasn't killed by the Dark Lord, was he? He was killed by his own stupidity!"

A collective gasp seemed to be heard around the Great Hall as the entire room joined in a mutual hush to hear what I would say next. I could feel a pair of blue eyes on the side of my face as I felt my eyes flash quickly, but I know he saw it. He was too observant for his own good. I placed my hands on the table and slowly stood to face her smirk that had made its way back onto her ugly, pug face. I take a deep breath and try to control my anger, but I know my response was going to feel like knives going into her stomach.

_I wish I had a knife right now…_

Once I have control of myself, I push the words through my lips with a low and harsh tone that would make even the Dark Lord jealous.

"Don't you _ever _let my brother's name fall from your disgusting lips ever again, you poor excuse of a witch. I may be an orphan, but at least I'm not a soul sucking _whore _that only has money to make her attractive. I'm sure a Dementor would have fun with you since you're already an empty shell, but please, test me again and we can see just how long you'd last against one _very _quickly. It would be an absolute pleasure to watch one suck out the very miniscule amount of happiness you have in your body until you go completely mad." I stand still with my shoulders very tense while she looks at me in horror. I can sense the pride coming off of most of the room as many have been at the mercy of Parkinson over the years, but I feel disgust with myself for stooping to her level. I shove past her and make sure my shoulder hits her hard. She stumbles out of the way and I stalk towards Dumbledore's office with purpose.

_It's about time someone gives me the answers I deserve. _


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N…Nah, you've waited long enough for this chapter. Draco finds out in this chapter and it's long! *gasp* I know, I didn't think I had it in me either. 3,000 words! As always, R&R.**

**Briar POV**

I rush through the hallways to get to the entrance of Dumbledore's office and quickly mumble my password he gave me. Bursting through the door, I can feel my magic quickly coursing through my veins like molten lava. Every movement I make feels like a crackle of energy running through me. My eyes keep flashing as my Animagus fights to gain control, but I'm not trying to escape my emotions for once; I'm trying to face them.

_Then why is my Animagus still trying to take over?_

"Your powers are trying to utilize your anger." I look up and see Dumbledore walking cautiously towards me as he continues his thoughts. "Do you remember when I told you your Animagus takes over when your emotions become too much for you to handle?" I nod and think back to all the times my Animagus has helped me process through complex thoughts with surprising ease. As a witch, it is easy to get caught up in negative emotions. Dumbledore, when we first started our session, informed me that my Animagus is like a switch. When I become overwhelmed by negative emotions, my Animagus fights for control so I can process my thoughts without my emotions clouding my judgement. However, I want to deal with this anger and disgust I feel after Parkinson's scene in the Great Hall as punishment for sinking to her level.

"I remember, but my Animagus is trying to take control when I don't want it to. It feels like I'm crawling in my skin and my doe is trying to come out to help me process, but I already understand what I'm feeling; anger and disgust at myself, at life, and most of all, at Parkinson." I look up to see Dumbledore looking at me with a look of understanding.

"Yes, I heard of the confrontation in the Great Hall through Severus. Ms. Griffin, there is something I kept to myself with my explanation at the beginning of the year that I would like to apologize for. I did not think you were ready as you had just become an Animagus, but now that your powers are getting stronger, I need to tell you. I know why your powers are different and what you are, or rather, I know of your true origins." I stare at Dumbledore in shock and forget about my power struggle between Animagus and human form for a moment. Once he realizes he has my attention, he starts to walk towards his desk to sit down. Once he takes a seat, Felix flies in and sets himself on the perch next to him. Felix stares at me with his beady eyes in curiosity, most likely sensing my Animagus trying to take control.

"Your father was an Obscurial which means he passed the gene down to you. Now, I know what you're fearing now, but let me put your mind at ease by explaining everything before you talk." He looks to me for confirmation that I agree with his conditions before continuing. "Your mother was part Veela, but with your father being an Obscurial…You truly are a rare child. As you know, by being an Obscurial, there is a chance of becoming an Obscurus like your father." I open my mouth to try and cut him off before he gives me a stern look to stay quiet. Closing my mouth, I continue to listen while I feel my fear start to rise with my heart rate. "However, with your Veela blood and being an Animagus, there is no chance of you turning to that dark magic by repressing your magic."

As I let this sink in, I can feel my powers still crackling under my skin, but now there are more emotions to add to that anger and disgust. Sadness over my parent's death, confusion over how Parkinson knew, clarity about why my magic was so powerful and the pages my mother left me…

_Where are the other pages though…?_

"Why is there no chance of be turning dark if I have Obscurial blood running through my veins? What does my Animagus and Veela blood have to do with it? Why did my parents never tell me and why am I chosen to help defeat Voldemort with Harry Potter?"

"My child, that kind of bond between Veela and an Obscurial is rare. As you know, Veela normally marry another Veela, but when your mother and father fell in love and created you; that mix of power and blood made someone extraordinary. I have never in all my years seen a pair like your parents so I apologize if I can't answer all of your questions, but your mother's letter will clear it up enough I think." He pulls a letter from his desk and stands to bring it over to me. He reaches his hand out and hands me the letter with a soft look on his face. I look down at the letter in confusion.

"When did she…? How?" I glance back at Dumbledore and see his face harden again before turning to go back to his desk.

"I have never opened that letter, but I look forward to whatever you're willing to share at our session on Monday. Now, go, deal with your Animagus and try to relax while classes are out for the weekend. Classes will be wrapping up soon for the break in a few weeks and I don't want to see your marks slip, Ms. Griffin." He smiles at me and gestures his hand to the door.

As I make my way to the Room of Requirement, I feel like I'm about to pass out. The room is tilting slightly from side to side as I feel the rush of emotions hitting me all at once. The door barely closes before I look down at the letter in my hand.

_My Darling Briar._

Taking a deep breath, I tear at the top of the envelope to make sure I don't rip into my mother's writing. I know I'll be keeping this in my side table in my room until the day I graduate.

_Sweetheart,_

_If you're reading this, your father and I got in too deep with our task. Over the past year, we have been trying to find more answers about your powers so we could rest easily knowing you would never be in danger. The Dark Lord doesn't know how powerful you are and neither did your father and I until we spoke with Severus. Yes, Severus Snape is an ally as well as Dumbledore. As I'm sure Dumbledore has informed you, your father is an Obscurial and I am a Veela. We are a rare match and that led to you getting magic that is not easily explained even with the new information we recently found. _

_The Dark Lord is going to kill us. As we speak, I'm sure he is slowly figuring out we're not on his side, but we are at Malfoy Manor to try and get some answers from Death Eaters. I'm sorry, my love, but we became Death Eaters to keep you safe. This letter will be the first and last you get from us so I want to tell you about your magic as I don't have much time before the meeting that will surely end my life. _

_In my will, I will be sending you parts of pages that I found in my search for answers. Those pages were the only ones I could find which is why we went to search for more answers. I found your book on Animagi and when you decide to become an Animagus, you will unleash your full potential as an Obscurial child. However, with my Veela blood in your system, you will become a more powerful witch than Harry Potter himself even if he is able to retrieve the Elder Wand. Here are the following things you should know:_

_-Your eyes will flash rainbow when your Animagus wants to be unleashed. You can deny it if you focus on things that make you human like friendships, love, and emotions. You will not unleash an Obscurus by denying your powers due to the mix of my blood in your veins with your father's. We did not find an answer of why, but you can gain control. Your wandless magic will evolve as you get older so continue your research. Your emotions make you more powerful. Do not run from them. _

_-You don't have to hide from connections. Voldemort does not know you exist and most likely won't until you get closer to his inner circle of Death Eaters. You know your task of befriending Harry Potter and helping him defeat the Dark Lord once and for all. _

_-The powers running through your veins are more powerful than you can imagine, but like all magic; you are not immune to becoming a dark witch. Remember to be the woman we raised you to be and trust Dumbledore. We made a deal with him before going undercover at the Manor. Listen to your heart and what you want from life. Your powers are tethered to nature due to our lineage. Your great grandmother was a powerful witch who got her powers from nature itself. The animals, trees, and every aspect of nature; she fed off of it somehow. It was never explained to me, but you are the closest to her power that I have heard of in centuries._

_-Since you're reading this letter, your father and I are dead. _

_Darling, we so wish we could've been there to watch the milestones of your life, but Dumbledore and Severus will take care of you. Trust them. I must go now, my love, but be careful, love unconditionally, and be the witch we know you can be. You are meant for great things. Remember how much your father and I loved you and Cedric. I'm so very sorry I kept you from him, but it was a precaution as we found out if you needed to keep yourself hidden or not. Don't be afraid to live anymore. _

_Always with you,_

_Your mother_

_I love you. Always. _

I drop the letter to the ground and feel myself shift into my Animagus with a shrill scream of despair. The grief of losing my parents, knowing they died at Malfoy Manor at the hands of Voldemort, and all the confusion about my powers are still strong even in my Animagus form. I drag my hooves towards the weeping willow, but only make it two steps before my legs give out and I fall to the snow-covered ground. My eyes stare straight ahead as my thoughts are scattered.

_Voldemort killed my parents. _

_My powers are going to get stronger, but I'm in control of them. I'm part Obscurial, but can't conjure an Obscurus because I'm an Animagus. _

_They died at Malfoy Manor._

_I need to deal with these emotions as a human and hone my powers so I can kill Voldemort. _

_Get up! Shift! _

I feel my body shutter and I fall to my side in my human form and let out another scream of pain. I curl into a ball and close my eyes as I relish in the fact I was able to shift at will even when dealing with emotional turmoil. I take a deep breath and feel the tears run down my face as my sobs start to slow into quiet hiccups. I slowly find the strength to get my arm under me and force myself to start sitting up. Once I'm in a seated position, I wrap my arms around me and realize there has been a shift in the room. Snow is falling to comfort me. I reach my hand out and sniffle as a wet, imperfect snowflake falls onto the tip of my finger that holds my rose gold ring my parents got me before I started Hogwarts. I turn my hand slightly and the tiny diamond winks at me from its place on my right pointer finger. It's then that I notice movement to the right of me. I sniffle once more and turn my head to look towards the door and notice Draco Malfoy standing there with a bewildered face. I stare at him emotionlessly as I feel myself come to terms with everything that happened in the past few hours. I let out a quiet sigh and wait for him to speak. I gesture with my hand as if to say _go ahead _before looking down at my ring again.

His shock quickly turns into a softer look when he notices the tear tracks on my face.

"All this time…" He takes a step towards me cautiously like I would run away. I let out a tiny, humorless chuckle and look at him with no emotion.

"You can walk faster. I won't run like a doe or anything." I slightly glare at him thinking he's going to start yelling at me now that he knows I heard all of his deepest secrets over the past two weeks. He stops walking and goes to sit on the floor to mirror my position. I look at him confused and turn to face him as I hug my arms around my knees that have come to squeeze against my chest in a protective manner. He stares at me for a moment before letting out a small smile and shakes his head slightly.

"Your eyes. I should have made the connection based on that. No one has eyes as green as yours."

_Kindness? He's not angry?_

I tilt my head in confusion at his reaction and raise my eyebrows. He sees my confusion and the smile drops.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm very angry at you for letting me pour out all of my deepest secrets over the past few weeks, some involving you as you know, but your face tells me you're dealing with something. I'll scream at you later when we discuss why the hell you lied to me for months." Still shocked, I look at him with my mouth slightly ajar. "Don't act so surprised that I have a heart, Griffin." He smirks and it snaps me out of my numbness.

"I'm very shocked since it's in a Malfoy's genetics to be an evil prat. Ask your parents as I'm sure they helped kill my parents!" _They died in Malfoy Manor. Did he know this entire time? _His smirk quickly turned to one of shock. I stand and feel my anger returning as I realize he has no idea what I'm talking about. I start pacing and notice the snow has stopped. I start trying to figure out what I need to do next as he stands and walks towards me.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about, Griffin? Your parents were killed?"

"YES! They were killed in YOUR Manor and you're telling me you don't know anything about that?!" I stop pacing and stand to look at him with electricity coursing through my veins again. Wind starts to pick up a little bit in the room as I feel my magic starting to gain strength. I haven't felt this powerful of a surge since the news of my parents dying.

"NO! I was traveling with Blaise the entire summer!" _He wasn't there. I can't get answers. I won't ever know what happened to them. _

The wind picks up more as I find it harder to breathe and the room starts to tilt again. This time I can feel my body start to shake. I back up until my back hits a tree trunk.

"I can't breathe," I whisper as Draco gets closer and closer to me. "I can't breathe. I can't breathe. I can't!" I gasp as I slide down the trunk and continue to shake. The wind whips my hair behind me and tousles Draco's hair as he rushes to me. I keep mumbling to myself that I can't breathe and feel the tears start to run down my face again. I hear a high-pitched ringing noise and everything in the room disappears. Everything sounds like it's underwater. Draco kneels in front of me and all I see are those blue eyes that have haunted my dreams for the past few months. His hands frame my face as he kneels in between my legs as I struggle to breathe. I notice his mouth is moving, but I can't hear what he's saying. I zone in on his lips and suddenly, the sounds start to come back to me.

"…deep breath. Hey, there you go. Focus on me and just breathe. In and out. Breathe." My breathing starts to slow at the same time as my tears. I take one more deep breath and can feel the shaking starting to stop as the wind finally dies down. Draco gives me a tiny smile and wipes his thumb on my cheek to catch a tear that had escaped from my right eye. I stare at him with my mouth slightly parted and my eyes slip down to look at his lips for another reason now. He sees where I'm looking and I see his tongue poke out slightly to wet his bottom lip.

_He knows he's enticing me. Typical Malfoy. _

With that thought, I remember my letter that I dropped on the ground and find my eyes drifting to the side to stare at it with an empty stare. He catches my glance and goes to pick up the note. After standing there and reading the letter for a few minutes, he looks at me. Blue meets green, but somewhere in that blue; I see understanding and that ever-present anger. I know I had a lot of explaining to do and Draco had a lot of questions, I'm sure. I let out a sigh and lean my head back onto the trunk behind me and close my eyes for a moment to prepare myself.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N WOW 450 people are reading this story…But no reviews! This is my first story and I want to know what you guys think so take a few seconds and tell me if I'm on the right track or not! Enjoy the next chapter, kiddos! **

**WARNING: Some adult things ahead;)**

**Draco POV**

_They died in Malfoy Manor…My father all, but pushed me out the front door __this summer with Blaise. He knew. He has to know something about her parents. _

I look up to the witch in question and see her eyes closed as she tries to calm her breathing after her panic attack. With the letter clutched in my right hand, I make my way across the short distance to stand in front of her. Looking down at her, I find myself wondering how I hadn't noticed this before…She's just as lost as I am, yet she holds so much strength. She stood up to Pansy, she works as hard as Granger in all of her classes, she fights every day to smile, she isn't afraid to be vulnerable and fight for what she wants, and that was only the little I had learned about her through others. I can only imagine what other fights she has been fighting practically alone all this time.

_And I can't even stand up to my father. _

Shaking my head slightly, I crouch down in front of her and take a moment to admire her. Her creamy skin, her chestnut hair falling in waves to rest just below her chest, and her ring that she has been admiring when I walked in before. Its diamond was tiny, but it winked in the light with tiny rainbow reflections if she turned her hand correctly. The rose gold band complimented her skin's milky complexion and made it stand out more. Her Slytherin robes flirt around her curves that are being hidden by her knees, but I know they're there after studying her all these weeks. Glancing from her knees to her face, I see those emerald eyes I had been so haunted by for weeks staring at me curiously. I can't believe I couldn't place her eyes with her Animagus form with how bright they are, especially with unshed tears swimming in them.

She stares at me curiously as I continue to stare at her eyes. The tears in her eyes are as stubborn as she is as they refuse to leave her bottom lid. One blink would cause the lone tear to cascade down her smooth cheek like a raindrop on a glass window pane. Taking a breath, I realize I've been staring for a little too long and should say something about the letter, but all I can get out is a pathetic, two-word sentence.

"I'm sorry." Her eyebrow lifts at me in shock and I have to remind myself of the situation so I don't get lost in those eyes again. She waits a few seconds for me to continue, but when I don't, she continues with her own two-words of wisdom.

"For what?" Her voice is barely a whisper as I'm sure she feels drained after her episode before. I take a deep breath and let it all out.

"Everything. Your parents, Pansy, you thinking I'm an evil Death Eater, and so much more. I've been intrigued by you since that day in the forest and I didn't even know it was you, but I should have connected your eyes. I'm sorry for being an absolute wanker. I'm sorry you've been dealing with all of this on your own. I'm sorry I said so much sappy shit to you while you were in your Animagus form because I _promise _you that I would not have said all of that if I knew it was you. Most of all, I'm sorry your only understanding of me is my family and their help in your parent's murder…" I stand and rake my hands through my hair making it look even more mused than my usual carefully messy look. I look down at her and am shocked when she gradually stands onto shaky knees as she responds back to me after a few moments of silence.

"You don't want to be a Death Eater. You hate your father, but adore your mother. You don't believe in blood status as much as you want others to think. You find Crabbe and Goyle to be great friends even if they're more interested in food than worshipping your Slytherin Prince act." She continues, but walks to close the gap between us as she finishes listing things off about me that I divulged to her over the two weeks in this very room. "You're kind, sincere, and frightened of what you're going home to so you're cruel to the younger students when in reality; you envy their freedom to choose who they want to be." Her right-hand brushes my cheek and her ring twinkles in the light almost as much as her eyes do as she raises her chin to meet my eyes. With her hand on my cheek, she says the most shocking sentence of all. "I see you Draco Malfoy and I have since that day in the woods."

I'm speechless by this alluring witch's speech about who she sees when she looks at me. She listened when I spoke every day in the two weeks I came here to pour out my fears, confusion, and desires. In that time, she saw me more than my so-called friends have in five years.

_I'm never letting you go, Briar Griffin. _

I reach my right hand out and mimic the soft caress she has on my cheek. After staring at her eyes for a few more seconds, I see shock, vulnerability, and fear flicker in her eyes before she settles on understanding. Her eyes darken slightly as I glance at her lips and wet mine with the tip of my tongue. Leaning in, it isn't long before I feel her lips brush against mine. She kisses me back and soon, I slowly let my tongue stroke her bottom lip asking for entrance which she eagerly grants me. It's like I unleashed something in her because the next thing I know, she is lightly biting my bottom lip and tugging it towards her before releasing it. Leaning back, she flutters her eyes open to look at me through a hooded gaze with a smirk very similar to the one in Umbridge's class not too long ago.

_The little minx doesn't know who she's teasing._

I let out a low growl and advance towards her until her back is against the trunk she was curled up against not too long ago. She lets out a gasp of surprise and looks up at me with wide eyes as I smirk down at her. When she sees my smirk, she rolls her eyes much like she did when she was in her Animagus form, but this time I take action. My right-hand slides into her hair while my other reaches for her hip as I surge forward and capture her lips again. She grabs onto my tie and pulls me closer. Groaning, I press my hips into her and tug at her leg greedily to lift it around my hip until she lets out a whimper when I brush against where she needed friction the most. Hearing her whimper makes me want more. I quickly wrap my hands under her thighs and lift her into the air. Her legs wrap around my waist and I use my hips to push her into the tree so I can transfer her weight off of my arms a little. Her hands slide into my hair and tug, releasing another moan from me. She suddenly pulls away and leans her forehead against mine as we both try to catch our breath.

"Draco, I'm sorry." She looks at me and the unshed tears are back. I gently release her so she can slide her legs back to the ground, but I continue to lean towards her as she supports herself against the bark behind her. My hands find purchase around her waist as my eyes seek out her green ones.

"For what? I wasn't complaining, sweetheart," I say with a smirk. She lets out a light laugh and slightly shoves me before letting out a tiny sniffle.

"Sod off. You know that's not what I mean. I mean…" she looks at me uncertainly before continuing. "I mean I'm sorry for not shifting in front of you sooner. I shouldn't have let you tell me so much when you didn't even think I was here in my Animagus form."

"Griffin, I'm not _that _mad. Don't get me wrong, I was a little angry when I realized you let me pour my heart out over my family and life problems for two weeks, but I'm sure you had good reason to keep your Animagus a secret. Do you want to talk about why you're practically a ghost at Hogwarts?"

"No!" She said that almost too quickly. I look at her confused and lean back a little bit to see more of her face. "I mean, no. I think that's enough revealing for one day, don't you?"

_She's hiding something…_

I look at her a little suspicious, but decide she will tell me when she's ready.

"Sure, whatever you say, sweetheart." The sounds of students rushing around tells us it's officially time for everyone to go to their Common Rooms for the night so the weekend can begin.

"We should be getting back." She picks up the letter from the floor where it had fallen when our little snog session started and starts to walk slowly to where the front door would appear when we thought of it. I trail behind her, but put my hand on the door when it appears so she can't open it. She looks at me curiously and pleadingly to get me to let her leave.

"You said before that you see me, but I see you too Briar Griffin. I'm not going to let you continue running. Get used to it." She lets out a tiny chuckle and smirks at me.

"Is that an order, oh mighty Slytherin Prince?" I give her my infamous Malfoy smirk.

"Yes. It is." She rolls her eyes, but I can see the vulnerability in her eyes. She still wants to run.

_I'll have to ask her about that instinct one day._

"I'll keep that in mind," she says as she leans onto the balls of her feet to graze her lips against mine. "Goodnight, Dray. I'll see you on Monday in class?" I stupidly nod and watch her leave the Room of Requirement. One little kiss and the witch had bewitched me into speechlessness. Now that I know what it feels like to kiss those plump lips of hers, I know I need to keep my façade up so my father doesn't find out.

_I may want to fight my father's hold on me like Griffin suggested, but I can't do that if he kills both of us…_

**Very important A/N! This is not a new chapter. It was just moved to be Chapter Nine because I added another chapter with more background information about Briar, my OC, as Chapter 4 so go back and read it if you want to learn more about her! It goes along with the plot of the story. As always, REVIEWS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED! ;p **


	10. Chapter 10

**GUY GUYS GUYS WE'RE ALMOST AT 600 VIEWS! Thank you to everyone actually reading this story and as always, critique and reviews are always welcome. This chapter takes us into the life of Draco Malfoy at home when he goes home for the weekend to Malfoy Manor to get us back to this story being in his POV the most. Onward, my fellow Potterheads! As always, I don't own anything (I wish. I'd be rich!) except the few OCs I've inputted into the story. **

**Draco POV**

_Son, _

_We expect you at the Manor by midnight for a meeting. You will be staying until Sunday night. Snape is already notified of your use of the floo in his office. _

_See you soon._

_Lucius Malfoy_

Putting the letter down, I roll my eyes and take a look up from my seat in the Slytherin Common Room to stare into the fire. Father has the uncanny skill of ruining my good moods especially after the meeting with Briar went so well tonight. A feeling of fear trickles up the back of my spine and settles as a cold feeling at the base of my neck. If father knew, that meant he was going to give me an ultimatum I most likely wouldn't like. Shaking my head, I focus on the events that happened in the Room of Requirement.

When I walked into the room and saw her shift from her Animagus form and scream in pain, it ripped into me because I've felt that pain before. She was screaming probably because of the new revelations from that damn letter, but I know she blames herself for her parent's deaths. They were searching for answers about her magic, but her magic is…remarkable. The wind picking up with her whirlwind of emotions after trying to piece together my arrival with what she read about her parents dying in my manor shocked me. I was in awe of her power and plan on helping her find answers and that kiss…My reputation about me being a playboy couldn't be farther from the truth, but I've had experiences with girls here at Hogwarts and none of them added up to the electricity I felt the moment I made the move to share in a simple kiss with Briar. When she pulled back to rest her forehead against mine, I saw her eyes flash rainbow under her hooded glance and I realized that will most likely turn into one of my favorite sights for the rest of my life.

_If I survive father that is._

Sighing, I stand up and make my way to my private dorm to pack as it's already 11:30. Throwing some clothes and necessities into my bag, I cast an undetectable extension charm to make sure it all fit before muttering _reducio_. Now that the bag is small enough, I stuff it into my black dress pants and glance at the clock to see it's now 11:35. Making my way down the stairs to the Common Room to make my way to Snape's office, I'm stopped by the last person I want to see. Curling my lips into a grimace, Parkinson stops in front of me with a smirk.

"Hello Drackie, where are you going so late?" I give her a cold stare before noticing she's trying to corner me against the wall. I take a few steps to the side with the intention of walking past her while replying.

"Out, Parkinson. Get out of my way." I go to brush past her when she grabs my arm and jerks me to a stop.

"I would listen to what I have to say first, Draco Malfoy." She never uses my full name. I rip my arm out of her grasp and stare at her in curiosity with my arms crossed in front of my chest with my back to the Slytherin Common Room entrance.

"60 seconds," I grit out. _Before my patience snaps. _She leisurely leans against the wall and looks me up and down appreciatively before I grumble out that she has 50 seconds left. She huffs and asks her question.

"How's Griffin? I saw you follow her after I embarrassed her in the Great Hall," she says with a playful smirk. I scoff at her general direction and retort smartly back.

"From where I sat, she buried you alive in that standoff, Parkinson. Why is she so intriguing to you anyway?" I use the voice my father taught me that exudes superiority to imply I don't care about Briar at all even though it is the farthest from the truth. The witch has snuck up on me in the past few months. Pansy's eyes flash with anger and she stalks towards me until she's jabbing her finger into my chest.

"Why is she so intriguing to _you_?! I've bent over backwards for you since we were first years and you never give me the time of day and suddenly a few months ago, you notice the little orphan and you want to chase the charity case? Is that what this is about, huh? You feel bad she has no one so you're getting close to her to get into her pants? I've never seen the Mighty Malfoy work so hard to get into someone's knickers before!" She lets out a huff and when she realizes I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of an answer, her eyes glint mischievously and she slowly flattens her finger that was jabbing my chest to rest flat against it. Her voice softens to barely a whisper and her hand started to slowly stroke down my chest to rest on my crossed arms. "If you're that desperate, Drackie, you only have to ask me. I'm more than willing," she says suggestively. I sneer at her and shove her so she takes two steps back in shock.

"Oh, I know, Parkinson. You're _too _easy really. Getting you into bed was barely a challenge for me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to get to." Parkinson's eyes drift to the left of my head before glaring at me hatefully.

"You should tell Griffin, Draco. Really, your father would be proud with how cruel you're being," she says with a malicious smirk.

"For Merlin's sake, Parkinson. What in the hell are you talking about?"

"You should tell her you knew Cedric would die. Your father, after all, was one of the Death Eaters that helped kill him after they were port keyed to the cemetery to be slaughtered by Voldemort." My anger started rising and I could feel my mouth slide into a glare.

"I had no idea Cedric would die," I say in defiance to her statement. This got a chuckle from her.

"Oh of course not, Malfoy. Just like you didn't know Potter and Cedric had been helping each other with the tasks? Your father was the one who counted on that when he pitched the idea to Wormtail. He bragged to you about being the mastermind, yet you deny knowing poor Cedric would be sacrificed. I'm not stupid…And guess what, Drackie. Neither is Griffin. Right, Griffin?" My confusion at what she's pratting about is pushed to the side as my eyes widen in shock. I turn to see Briar standing in the entrance to the Common Room with tears welling up in her eyes. A tear slides down her right cheek as she stares at me in confusion as I fumble to come up with something to say.

_The same cheek I had wiped your tear from not too long ago and now I'm causing your pain. _

I stare at her with my mouth silently opening and closing as her emerald green eyes search my eyes for answers. All I'm able to get out is her name in a rushed whisper before her eyes flicker from confusion to anger. She stalks past me and shoves me out of the way before making a bee line to Parkinson. She shoves her against the wall with her wandless magic before standing in front of her practically vibrating in anger. Parkinson is gasping and clawing at her neck as if something is around her throat.

"Who told you about the cemetery?" Briar's voice is a low growl and Parkinson looks at her in confusion as she continues to struggle for a deep breath.

"What? I don't…" Parkinson coughs as the force around her neck gets tighter as Briar takes a step towards her menacingly.

I've never seen Griffin this angry before. Even when she found out about her parents dying in Malfoy Manor, she was never this angry…She's almost seems to be losing control of her magic and I'm starting to get concerned. I take a step towards her, but her next words make me stop walking altogether.

"WHO TOLD YOU ABOUT THE CEMETERY? HARRY ONLY TOLD FAKE MOODY ABOUT THAT SO HOW DID YOU KNOW?" Parkinson's eyes widen in surprise before pointing at her throat. Briar pulled back her magic just enough for Pansy to talk.

"I know because it was me. I fed Lucius the plan and in return, he promised he would see what he could do about Draco having to marry me one day after the war." She turns her head to smirk at me. "See Drackie? We're going to be together one day." Pansy looks proud of herself and all I can do is look at her in disgust. The lengths she would go through to be with someone who doesn't even want her…I open my mouth to speak, but Briar speaks up and tightens her hold on Pansy's neck once more. Parkinson chokes and starts to slowly turn blue in the face as Briar speaks.

"You being with _anyone _one day is a dream because you helped murder my half-brother! He was my best friend and you helped take him from me. You don't get a happy ending, you daft bimbo." Briar took another step towards Pansy so she was almost nose to nose with her and I see Parkinson's eyes widen in fear.

_I have never seen her afraid before. _

In a tone just about a whisper, I hear Briar whisper in a tone as malicious as my father would while he's inflicting the Cruciatus Curse on me as punishment.

"Say hello to my brother," she growls as she steps back and I see Pansy raise from the ground. She kicks her feet back and forth trying to get down as she is starting to choke loudly against the wall.

_This isn't Briar. This needs to stop. _

I rush forward and stand in front of Briar and see her eyes are almost completely swallowed by her pupils. There is only a sliver of green around the edges. This is not the same woman I have come to adore. This is someone overcome by anger, grief, and vengeance. This is someone not in control of her powers. I place my hands on either side of her face and block her view of Parkinson.

"BRIAR STOP!" With a jolt, Briar blinks and slowly her pupils start to shrink. I hear Parkinson drop to the ground behind me and start to gasp greedily at the air she had been deprived of. After a few seconds of me rubbing my thumbs against her cheeks and staring at her in concern, her eyes finally meet mine. Green meets blue and I know she's back. The tears are back in her eyes and I can tell she needs to let them out soon.

"Draco…? What…?" I can tell she has barely any recollection of what just happened so I shush her and turn to look behind me. Parkinson isn't on the floor and I can faintly hear the sound of a door latching shut upstairs telling me she retreated to her room. Turning back to Briar, I see the look of confusion on her face. She raises her hands between us and stares at them for a few moments before staring me in the eyes with fear clearly displayed in hers. I shake my head at her and give her a reassuring smile while stroking my hands under her eye to catch the tear that falls.

_She wouldn't have snapped out of her episode if she didn't care for you. _

My eyes widen as I realize I just thought that. Now was not the time to get overly attached to someone knowing my father had helped murder someone in her family. And yet…Her watery eyes staring into mine as she completely bares her soul to me; I have never felt as powerful in my life as I do in this moment. Father has always told me emotions are weakness, but in just a few short hours; this woman in front of me has shown me that emotions save you.

Pushing these thoughts to the side, I realize I need to help Briar before I can even begin to solve the conflicting thoughts in my head. Her tears are started to stream down her face steadily now and every part of me tells me to wrap her into my arms like my mother would when I was sad. My mother and I have always been close due to the comfort we find in one another while my father is the stony, emotionless one in the family. My father would see comforting her as a weakness and still, I find her shaking in my arms with tears soaking into my shirt once again. I have never felt as needed and wanted as I do in this moment.

"What happened, Briar? That was _not_you doing that," I whisper into her hair as my cheek rests on the top of her head. She shakes her head slightly and I can hear her start to cry harder as she squeezes me tighter. She's shaking like a leaf as I rub my hand up and down her back.

"I just…Cedric…She helped…I can't…Help me, Draco. Please, I can't control it." It finally clicks in my head that this is what Parkinson wanted, but it backfired when it didn't cause a fight between me and Briar. She wanted to unhinge Briar.

I can feel the surge of electricity still hanging in the air from Briar's outburst and I know I need to calm her down before her abilities get out of hand again. I lean forward slightly and lift Briar into a bridal position in my arms. She tucks her head into my neck and I can feel her starting to calm down slightly now that she is closer to me. Settling onto the cushion, I gently lower her onto my lap with her back trapping my arm against the couch. She burrows into my body more and I wrap my arms around her tighter while I speak soothingly to her.

"Briar, you need to calm down. This is what Parkinson wanted. She knew you would lose control if she mentioned your brother, but she wanted it to cause a rift between us. She hadn't expected you to catch the comment about the cemetery," I pause for a moment as I realize something. "Wait, Briar. How did _you_know about the cemetery?" She sniffles before shifting so we can meet eyes. I stare down at her and wait for her to start explaining.

"I watched him die," she says with a wavering voice. Before I can ask what she means, she continues with a soft voice. "I have many abilities, but one of the ones I've known of since I was a child is that I'm a seer, Draco. The day after Ced was murdered, I went to Dumbledore and he showed me how I can control what I want to see. I focused on Cedric and I was able to channel his last moments. It was horrifying to watch, but some part of me got closure knowing he didn't suffer." She looked down at her hands again as if she couldn't believe her hands had almost ended a fellow student's life.

"Thank you for sharing that with me," I say while grasping her hands in one of mine to stop her analysis of them. "Briar, your abilities are amazing and you keep surprising me every chance I get the privilege to learn something new about you. Your mother knew you'd be powerful, but she also knew there was a line. You almost crossed that line tonight." I pause and she hangs her head lower in defeat as she assumes I'm going to berate her. "You fought the darkness tonight and I'm so proud of you."

She looks up to me in shock and can't say anything for a few seconds. When she does, I'm relieved it's not something negative about herself, but the relief is short lived.

"You keep surprising me too, Draco Malfoy. Who knew a sneaky little ferret could have a heart," she says with a smirk. I stare at her with a mock glare.

"Okay, now I regret comforting you. You leave me no choice," I say as I tuck my hands under her arms and start to tickle her. Her little squeals of delight and laughter are music to my ears after the darkness that seems to follow us around Hogwarts. Her pleas for me to stop fall on deaf ears as she tries to scramble to the other side of the couch to seek refuge from my relentless hands. I laugh at her attempts to get away and soon find myself on top of her with both of us staring at each other breathlessly.

"Thank you for saving me tonight. Both from myself and from Parkinson," Briar whispers to me as she brushes a piece of hair out of my face with a smile on her face. I let out a little chuckle before responding in a teasing tone.

"You can hold your own against Parkinson, trust me. She can't even do basic sparring spells. And you saved yourself, Briar. I didn't do anything except yell at you while standing in between you and Parkinson." Her smile falls and she stares at me with a serious face.

"You don't know the power you have in you, do you?"

_I just hope that power is enough to save me from my father one day. _

I look at the clock. 11:56. I stare down at Briar one more time before replying to her question.

"I guess we'll find out, won't we?"

I quickly say my goodbyes after explaining my father's summons and make my way to Snape's office.

_Time to face father._

**A/N Longest chapter yet! You're welcome! This makes up for me doing a lot of Briar POV's lately so this was 100% Draco Malfoy. This chapter definitely deserves feedback so tell me what you all think! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning: This chapter has some violence in it between Draco and his father. **

**I do not own any rights to Harry Potter except for the OCs I've created.**

**Draco POV**

Walking into Malfoy Manor, I notice the ever-present feeling on loneliness seeping in. The ambiance of the manor is as dull as the colors on the walls. The matte, grey tones seen in every room gives the manor a gloomy feeling to it no matter where you look. The grandiose fireplaces, furniture, and chandeliers scream medieval décor and old money. My mother's favorite room, as well as mine, is the library because it's the only room not decorated in depressing tones and colors.

11:59. I make my way to my father's study and slowly make sure my façade is up after letting my walls down with Briar moments ago. Leaving her at Hogwarts knowing she was dealing with turmoil alone had my gut twisted in an uncomfortable way especially now that I know Parkinson has a vendetta against the bright witch. Shaking my head, I focus on the task at hand so I don't get distracted.

Stealing a few moments to take a deep breath, I put on my steely exterior and raise my hand to wrap around the cold, gold dragon knocker. Pulling my hand back a few centimeters, I rap it against the door three times quickly before taking a step back to wait for my father to invite me in. After a few moments, the door opens a crack and I hear his cold voice waft through the crack with a detached "Enter." Fighting the shiver making its way down my spine, I stride in confidentially to see my father facing the fireplace away from me. Pushing my shoulders back, I circle around the large, grey armchair my father must be seated at. The chair has been in the family for centuries and still looks brand new due to a myriad of spells. Its deep grey color brings out the gold embellishments that swirl around the chair like a vine to reveal two dragons meeting in the middle of the furniture.

Taking the last few steps, I circle around the corner and see my father sitting with his walking cane in his right hand like always. It rests on the floor with his wand sticking out at the top which is encircled by his cold, slender fingers. He is dressed in black from head to toe in a silk button up, clean pressed dress pants, and his nicest dress shoes all under his business cloak.

_He must have just finished a meeting with the rest of the Death Eaters._

Looking up, I glance into his steely eyes and see anger thinly veiled behind his stare. I stand up taller and push my shoulders back even further to give myself a look of solidarity against my father's anger.

"Draco, I'm not happy," father says in a low, icy tone. I stay silent and wait for him to continue. "I have been hearing from a source that you're not keeping up appearances as a Malfoy." He stares at me expectantly.

"I'm not sure what you mean, father. I've been sticking to the same crowd, I'm doing well in all of my studies, especially potions, and I haven't gotten in Umbridge's way. You do know she is torturing students, I assume?" I see father's shoulders prickle in anger at my tone and realize I had been too sarcastic with my last remark.

"You will join Umbridge before winter break as her most trusted confidant. You will do well to remember who you're talking to, Draco. I know about that witch you have been getting close to and while I might not know of her stance on the upcoming war, I can only assume she is as defiant as her parents are. Well, were," he said with a smirk. My anger raises and I take a step forward towards him.

"What did you do to Griffin's parents, father?" His eyes flash in satisfaction at getting under my skin, but at this moment, all I care about are getting answers. Father stands slowly from his chair using his walking stick as a support. Once he is standing tall in front of me, he smirks at me and chuckles quietly to himself before freeing his wand from his walking stick. He points it at me quickly and screams a spell at me.

"CRUCIO!" My skin feels like it's being stabbed with millions of knives, but I stand there refusing to fall to the ground in pain. A small gasp escapes my lips before I shut it in defiance. After many sessions like this since I was a little boy, I know he will only get angrier if I don't show my pain, but I owe Briar these answers. If she was right and her parents died here, I can assume my father had a hand in it.

Sweat starts to collect on my forehead from the sheer exertion of not yelling and father pushes his wand forward to increase the force of the spell. My knees start to shake so I lock them into place and glare at my father in defiance as he starts talking over my small gasps I make under my breath to keep my composure.

"Her parents snuck their way into our ranks with the intention of getting answers for their daughter who has extraordinary abilities. As you can imagine, the Dark Lord would have been intrigued about this new development, but I took it upon myself to protect him from these two traitors. He has far too much to do so I sent them an anonymous page about rare magic from our personal library. When they went searching in my office for more information, it led them to me. They died in this very room, but you do not deserve to know how I killed them. Yet." At this point, the Cruciatus Curse has been working away at my mind and body for more than five minutes and I could feel the pain starting to seep in stronger as my father's emotions start to escalate. I grit my teeth and try to hold out longer. He pauses briefly before he releases me from the curse and I gasp in a deep breath of relief at being able to relax for a moment. Sweat has now gathered on my face as well as the back of my neck, under my arms, and on the small of my back from the exertion of not letting out my pain. My relief is short though.

Father takes a few steps towards me and grabs the front of my shirt to yank me towards him so our noses are inches away. I'm forced to stare into his icy eyes and I can almost feel a chill in the room from the revelation that he was the one who killed Griffin's parents.

"You will be careful to remember your task, Draco. You are on a _very _short leash now and will do everything I tell you. If you step one more foot out of line, I will cut you off and personally hand you to the Dark Lord for him to do with you as he pleases. Understood?" He sneers at me and shoves me back. Normally, I would be able to brace myself and stop myself from falling, but after the torture I just endured, my legs buckle under me and send me to the floor. Leaning back onto my arms, I push myself into a seated position and stare at my father in the eyes. I stay silent which angers him. He storms forward and punches me on the bottom corner of my jaw, sending my face flying to the left towards his fireplace. Kneeling next to me, he yanks me up by the shirt and growls his next sentence in my face.

"You will answer me when I speak to you, Draco. The Dark Lord may not know about your little witch now because she is of no use to him yet, but her existence can be revealed at any moment. I suggest you keep that in mind." He shoves me back down onto the ground and sends a kick into my side as a final thought before walking toward his office door. He tosses a quick, "I will see you in the morning for breakfast," over his shoulder before slamming the door behind him.

Staying on the ground for a few more seconds to catch my breath, I realize a few things. One, I am still having a hard time breathing so father must have cracked a rib. _Again. _Two, that's the first time I've had the courage to stand up to my father and not just conform to his demands. Finally, I'm not staying here until Sunday. I need to speak through father's threats with Snape and figure out my next move.

I take as much of a deep breath as possible and push the burning in my side to the back of my mind. I slowly make my way to father's fireplace and grab some floo powder. After a few minutes, I'm finally able to crawl my way into the center. Thinking my decision through one more time, I raise my arm and throw the floo powder down and clearly state "Severus Snape's Office. Hogwarts."

After the green flames settle down, I look up to see Snape rushing into his office.

_He must have alerts on his floo system. Smart man._

I clutch at my right side where father cracked my rib and watch Snape's eyes harden at the realization of why I was only gone for twenty minutes. He rushes around to mix a potion before coming over and tilting my head back to pour it down my throat before letting me lay down on the floor. I feel an icy chill wrap around where my rib hurts and feel it start to pull together before realizing I feel that chill in three places. I grit my teeth and let out a groan of pain. Father broke three ribs with one kick. He must have been wearing his specialty shoes with the titanium toe.

Over the pain, I vaguely hear a rapid knocking on Snape's office door, but the pain is getting more intense. Squinting my eyes open in spite of the pain, I see Snape open the door and speak in a hushed tone to the visitor. I hear a female voice say something about a dream in a frantic voice before I see him shoved to the side. A blur of brown hair is all I see before closing my eyes in pain as my rib makes a loud _crack_ing sound. I scream out in pain and feel a tear run down my face before it's wiped away just as quickly as it came out of my eye. I hear someone shushing me soothingly and open my eyes in confusion only to be met with bright emerald eyes.

_Briar._

"Shhhh, Draco. You're going to be okay," she says in a calm tone as her hand caresses my cheek while her other hand rests on my chest. I lean into her hand and focus on the feel of it caressing my cheek to distract me from the pain of my rib reconnecting. She lets out a tiny smile, but her face hardens as she looks towards my chin. My bruise must be forming from my father's punch. She sharply turns her head to call to Snape over her shoulder. "Severus, why is this taking so long? I saw him in the Manor and what his father did to him. I could _feel _his pain." Snape looked at her with a look of pride on his face.

"I guess your training with Dumbledore is going well. However, you haven't dreamt of another's pain since second year with Ms. Weasley and Mr. Potter. What caused the dream do you think?" Briar blushes before answering while I quietly wonder what Potter has to do with this.

"I knew he would be meeting his father tonight so I kept my mind open to make sure he had someone watching over him." Snape looked at her with a soft look on his face.

_Snape has emotions other than annoyed and angry? _

I let out a chuckle at my thought getting both of their attention. I look at Snape with a small, teasing smile and tell him so.

"Snape, it looks like you _are _capable of showing more than anger and annoyance. I'm shocked." At that moment, my other two ribs cracked into place causing me to tense up and grab onto Briar's hand that was resting on my chest. I let out a whimper of pain at the feeling of both ribs connecting at the same time.

"That would be karma for mouthing off to me, Mr. Malfoy," Snape says with a smirk. Briar looks at me in concern and squeezes my hand once before her eyes flash in anger at his comment.

"Severus," she growls out as she stares at him. "You're supposed to be helping him. Stop being an arse. What are we going to do about this bruise on his face?"

"I think the bruise gives him character. I think I'll leave it there to remind him to not be a prat and defy his father especially with the Dark Lord rising so quickly." I grimace at the thought and see Briar turn her head quickly to look at me feeling my discomfort. Taking a second to examine my bruise, she glances at my eyes one more time before taking her hand from my cheek and placing it over the bruise. Looking deeply into my eyes, I see her eyes flash rainbow before her hand sends a soothing, cold feeling to my bruise. I close my eyes and sigh as I lean into her hand and towards the relief before feeling her hand slide back to my cheek. I open my eyes and see her eyes are steely in determination as I hear Snape let out a small gasp behind her. Looking at him, I see him staring at my face in shock.

"What, Snape? Not used to seeing a handsome bloke like myself?" Briar lets out a laugh and lightly slaps my chest. I look at her in mock hurt before Snape speaks up.

"You shouldn't be using your magic for small healing like that, especially on this egotistical prat. Although, Mr. Malfoy I am shocked to see Ms. Griffin seems to have gotten through your Malfoy act." Griffin rolls her eyes and looks at Snape in exasperation while I realize Briar must have gotten rid of my bruise with her magic.

"Oh Severus, you really do need to drop that nonchalant act. I know you actually care about what happens to him because it matters to me."

_Did Snape just blush?! This witch is even more amazing than I originally thought. _

"It matters to you, huh?" I whisper to her. She turns her head and looks at me with a softness in her eye before letting a small smile grace her beautiful face. She strokes her thumb across my cheek and leans forward to kiss my forehead. Once she leans back, I look at her in shock at her gesture before she responds.

"Yes, it does," she says. Staring into her eyes, I feel my face fall as I know I have to tell her about the meeting. Taking a deep breath, I enjoy the peaceful silence for a moment more before opening my mouth to tell her an unfortunate piece of news.

"Briar, there's something I need to tell you."


	12. Chapter 12

**It's normal for people to pick the writer's brain, but I'm going to pick YOURS now! Unfortunately, I can't use legilimens because JK Rowling didn't give me the ability to perform magic when I was born (I know, small tear for all of my fellow muggles who wish magic was real). Find my question for all of you at the bottom of this chapter! Flashbacks will be BOLDED so you know when time jumps happen. If there are any character thoughts, they will still be ****italicized.**

**Draco POV**

Striding into the Great Hall, I sit down between Parkinson and Blaise across from Crabbe and Goyle. With a huff, I start piling food onto my plate for breakfast. I notice they're all staring at me with concern so I stop gathering food and place my hands clasped in front of me on the table.

"Out with it," I say with a sneer. Blaise speaks up from my left.

"You alright, Mate? You look a little tired."

_You try being punched and crucio-ed by your father and getting very few hours of sleep, Zambini. _

"I'm fine, Zambini. Just had a late night is all, if you know what I mean." I smirk at him and receive one back as I continue to pile food onto my plate and pour myself a cup of pumpkin juice.

"With Griffin, I bet," Parkinson mumbled loud enough so only our group could hear.

"Yes, Parkinson. With Griffin. My meaningless shags are none of your business because you and I will never shag again after what happened yesterday so I suggest you keep your trap shut." She looks down at her plate and pouts as she moves her food around without eating it. I glance up with a smirk and look around the table as I start idle conversation with everyone else. Crabbe and Goyle catch me up on their terrors of the first years yesterday. I laugh at their very animated story about a first year Hufflepuff that was terrified of the dungeons.

"He ran so fast! Almost peed himself, didn't he, Goyle?" Goyle chuckled and continued to explain.

"He did, Crabbe. We had our hoods up and were walking towards him slowly while whispering. Poor little git almost peed himself when we pulled the hoods back and had no eyes. I've never seen a first year run so bloody fast!" Crabbe and Goyle chuckled as I wiped tears from my eyes from laughing so hard.

"Wait, no eyes?" Blaise questioned. Crabbe took a drink of pumpkin juice before letting out a sound of affirmation.

"Yeah! Professor Flitwick taught it to us in charms a few days ago. Something about relying on other senses? I don't know, but it came in handy alright!" We all laugh and once they settle down, I proposition them.

"So mates, I have a task for us." Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle lean forward with interest on what mischief we'd be causing next. After a few moments of silence, I lean in to up the suspense and whisper, "Umbridge."

All three of them look intrigued while I hear Parkinson scoff with boredom. I roll my eyes before looking to address her directly.

"You're not welcomed, Parkinson. You can leave. This is a talk for those capable of handling this task and clearly, that isn't you. As a matter of fact, I don't see any use for you anymore so you can go find others to whine to going forward." She looks at me with watery eyes and gathers her stuff quickly before running out of the Great Hall wiping her eyes. Looking back at the lads, I continue.

"Now that the weak have been weeded out, I can continue." All three of them chuckle as they have despised Parkinson's prissy attitude and drama for years. "Umbridge, as we all know, is torturing certain students. However, I have received intel that she is actually a favored recruitment for the Dark Lord so I say we start a patrol in catching students doing what they shouldn't be and bring them to her to get on her good side. What do you say?"

All three of them readily agree as it would put them on their Death Eater parent's good sides. After a few minutes, it's time to leave so we get up with intentions of heading towards the Slytherin Common Room to come up with a plan to get on Umbridge's good side. As we walk towards the entrance, I see Griffin walking with Nelson as they chat enthusiastically about something. Her eyes catch mine as she walks closer to me with my three mates closely following me. Her and Nelson are both carrying a few books in their arms. I look her up and down and see she's wearing a light blue, tight shirt that hugs her body and fitted black pants under her robes highlighting her curves. Her brown hair is framing her face in her usual loose waves and her green eyes sparkle mischievously at me knowing she caught me checking her out appreciatively.

_Here goes nothing. _

She moves to walk around me when I bump into her arm sending her books falling to the ground. I spin around to watch her and Grace pick up their books while the Great Hall seems to quiet down to watch the exchange.

"Watch where you're going, Malfoy!" Her friend Grace fires at me while Briar glares up at me from the ground. I scoff and kick Briar's last book closer to her. She quickly picks it up and they both stand to look at me.

"I make no apologies to two blood traitors. Watch where you're walking next time," I say with an air of superiority. Me and my mates brush past them and walk towards the entrance.

"Malfoy, did you see her face? She looked so confused! She obviously thought she was more than a shag, the daft witch," Crabbe says with humor. We all laugh together and we chat as we make our way to the common room. After spending a few hours planning, we all agree to get some training in for Quidditch so we separate to our separate rooms to get changed. Shutting my door, I lean against the frame and let out a huff of exertion.

_This isn't going to be easy._

I change into my robes for practice and gather my gear. Taking a deep breath, I leave the room and make my way to the Quidditch field to meet the boys.

_Keep up the act, Malfoy. Lives are depending on you._

* * *

**Earlier that morning**

**The silence filled every corner of the room as Briar let the news sink in. I sit silently and look between her face and Snape's detached face as he watches her pace slowly. Having to tell her my father threatened her made me sick to my stomach, but I know she's strong enough to fight him with her magic if need be. It doesn't mean I have to be happy about putting her in danger just because there's a mole in my circle of friends.**

**_Probably Parkinson._**

**Briar stops pacing and suddenly turns to Snape and begins to speak with determination in every word.**

**"Right then. Severus, you will go to Dumbledore and let him know I will be casting new protection spells around my room. Thank Merlin, I have my own private quarters. If either of you have any ancient ones that would be helpful, we can discuss it tomorrow during our meeting. We are not waiting until Monday, but I would like _one _day to relax after today," she says before pausing to glance at the clock. 12:55. "Well, yesterday and today."**

**I take a glance at Snape and see nothing, but determination on his face as well. Briar turns to me with her emerald eyes staring into my soul and I see why. Gone is the confused and sad girl who lost her parents. The woman standing in front of me that replaced her is glowing with fierceness and determination with such a magnitude that it takes my breath away for a moment from the raw emotion on her face.**

**"Draco, you will act like nothing has happened. Stay with the same crowd as always and act like your father got through to you with threatening me. Join Umbridge's band of misfits with some of your social circle so maybe you can try and figure out who the traitor is while getting close to her. Maybe even try to start rumors that you're getting around so your father thinks you're not involved with me and are back to your playboy ways. If you need to brag about shagging me and cause a scene while I play the desperate girl in love then we can talk about it." She turns to glance at Snape before turning her head back to me. "Any questions?"**

**I nod my head and ask with a look of aw on my face, "Yes. Who are you and what have you done with Briar Griffin?"**

**She smirks at me takes a few steps towards me so that she is standing a few feet in front of me.**

**"I'm angry, Malfoy. Reading my mother's letter made me realize I'm more powerful than I give myself credit for so I'm done letting everyone push me around. Especially your Death Eater father. If everyone thinks I'm a damsel in distress then maybe I'll act like one so no one thinks I'm capable of helping with the demise of Voldemort. However, I know what I'm capable of and I look forward to seeing the shock on their faces when I help Harry Potter kill that snake once and for all." I send her a smirk before grabbing her face and pulling her into a hungry kiss before pulling back. She looks at me with a look of hunger while licking her lips.**

**"I refuse to humiliate you by announcing to all of Hogwarts that you're just a shag, but I agree with the rest of the plan. Let's go kill a snake."**

** Ooooohhhhh Briar is done being a damsel. Say hello to my badass bitch in her full glory! I don't know about you guys, but writing this side of Briar was hella fun. **

**Question for my readers: Who do YOU think is the mole close to Draco? **


	13. Chapter 13

**Alright! Just to clarify some questions I've received about my OC. Briar is about 5'2" and she has brown, wavy hair. She is slim, but not super skinny since Draco pointed out she had curves hidden under her robes in the previous chapter. Standing next to Draco without heels, she would reach his chest and she loves reading as stated in the previous chapters. Better understanding now? Cool. Onward, kids! **

**Draco POV**

Monday morning, I walk from the Great Hall with Crabbe, Blaise, and Goyle to meet in Umbridge's office for our initiation into her army of spies. I haven't seen Briar since Saturday when I knocked her books out of her hands as well as Nelson's and I have to admit…I miss her even though it has only been two days. Keeping up the charade she came up with has been hard when all I want to do is ask her about what she has been avoiding; the things I admitted in the Room of Requirement when I thought her Animagus was fake. Ever since uncovering her identity that day, she has been avoiding that conversation.

Letting out a huff, I see Blaise look at me questioningly in the corner of my eye, but my eyes focus in on the person of my concerns walking towards me from Snape's office. I wipe my face of all emotion and just study her walking down the hallway. She's wearing an emerald green sweater under her robes and black pants that are loose until they tighten around her ankles. I vaguely remember Parkinson sneering about something of the same style and naming them "joggers." It's a muggle fashion, but seeing them on Griffin makes me interested in what other muggle styles she can pull off. Continuing down, I see black leather high heeled boots that make her seem taller and her legs look fantastic. If she were standing next to me, I'd say she would just reach under my chin with the top of her head. Glancing up to look at her face again, I see her eyes twinkling mischievously at me as I lick my lips. Her eyes get darker and she smirks at me and is she swinging her hips more while she walks? Looking away from me, she walks past my group with a smirk as I have to hold in a groan. Tuning back into the conversation, I realize my group is talking about how Potter saved Weasley's father because of a dream.

_Saint Potter is the center of gossip yet again. Surprise surprise. _

Blaise nudges me from my left side and I look at him curiously waiting for my answer to a question I didn't even hear.

"Sorry, boys. I was just thinking about how Filch almost fell off that ladder the other day putting up yet another change from Umbridge. How long do you think until he has to continue down the hallway?" They all chuckle and my slip up is forgotten for now. They start betting on how long it will take Filch to fall off the ladder before we turn the corner and realize we're at Umbridge's office.

Walking in, the first thing I notice is how _pink_it is and how many eyes are watching my every move.

_This woman takes the term cat lady to a whole new level._

"Ahhh, Mr. Malfoy, Zambini, Crabbe, and Goyle. So glad you could join us," she says gesturing to about five other Slytherins that wanted to join her. "Stand by the wall and we shall begin."

Striding over to where the others are standing, we all turn so our backs are facing the stone wall and stand tall. I stand with my head held high in pride and wait for her to begin speaking. She pours a cup of tea and picks it up on a small, dainty plate that has intricate designs on it. Taking a sip of the tea, she places it back on the plate and settles both onto her desk carefully. Taking a glance at the tea, I see a picture of the Minister of Magic surveying all of us from the left side of her desk.

"Now, as you all know, things at Hogwarts are far worse than I have imagined. There are whispers going around about illicit activities and I need a select few that will bring me back any information that will help me uncover the truth about what students are doing outside of my classroom. You," she says glancing at all of us before continuing, "have come forward and shown interest in the greater good for this school so you have chosen to aid me going forward. By joining me, you will be exempt from punishment unlike those less fortunate students that have joined me for detention."

I clench my fists at my sides before reminding myself to relax. Briar still won't tell me what she did to piss off Umbridge to land herself in detention when I first started following her to the Room of Requirement, but my anger hasn't lessened.

"Joining me is in your best interest, but I do have a few words of caution. I have the Minister's blessing so I would advise all of you to abide by my rules and regulations I have already passed. Failure to do so will weaken my trust in you and those unworthy of my trust will be seen as an enemy fit for punishment. Trust me when I say, you do not want me as an enemy because to have me as an enemy means you have the Minister of Magic himself as an enemy. Have I made myself quite plan?" She stares us down and after seeing all of us nod, she lets out that shrill laugh. Reaching into her desk, she pulls out a tiny silver "I" pendant and walks to the student at the far end of the line to my right. As she makes her way from student to student, she speaks to us about the pins.

"Going forward, you will be known as the Inquisitorial Squad. These pendants will stay on you at all times during the school day to remind those around you to uphold the rules of Hogwarts. As many of you know, Dumbledore stopped me from banishing certain teachers from Hogwarts, but I _will _have order." She stands in front of me and pins the adornment to my robe while I look down at her with fake pride. "Your jobs are to report back to me about anything that seems out of the ordinary or if any students are misusing magic."

She has finished placing the pins on our robes and stands on the other side of her desk. "You are all dismissed. I look forward to working with you and regaining order."

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

I peak around the corner and see Looney Lovegood skipping down the hall towards the Room of Requirement. Of course, no one has any idea that I know what room that is and they're all suggesting we run towards it to catch the door open before she gets through it. I roll my eyes, but agree anyway even though I know the room will protect itself. As we run, I see the door start to shrink and change into a different door. As Filch shoves the door open, we all stumble into the tiny broom closet and find ourselves laying on top of each other. I shove Goyle away from me when I see how close he is and start to move backwards to get away from the pile of idiots under me. Brushing my robes off, I stand there huffing at how close we were at exposing Saint Potter. They all start making plans for Filch to sit in front of the door and wait for Luna to come out, but I know there's other ways out of the room.

I roll my eyes and tell them I'm going back to the Slytherin common room. It has been two weeks and we haven't gotten any closer to catching Potter and his illicit activities. Another thing that hasn't happened in two weeks is seeing Briar because she has been invisible with the exception of a few sightings in the Great Hall. It has gotten to the point where I'm starting to get worried she isn't sleeping because her eyes always seem to have permanent dark circles under them. We also haven't talked about what Umbridge did and, not to mention the fact she didn't tell me her Animagus was real in the very room that just out thought the Inquisitorial Squad for two weeks. I'm not mad she knows about my childhood and the horrors I've faced because I think it allows her to understand why I am the way I am, but I'm upset that she seems to be hiding something and I can't figure it out.

Rubbing my hand across my forehead, I can feel a headache coming on from the stress of the past two weeks. Briar isn't the only one having a hard time sleeping. Ever since I've started to worry about her, I haven't been able to escape the nightmares of the Dark Lord or my father getting to her when I'm not with her. She may be able to hold her own, but the Dark Lord is too powerful for someone who doesn't even know her full abilities yet.

Continuing down the hall, I see Griffin walking quickly while looking lost in her head. She hasn't even noticed I've sped up to walk towards her until I'm a few steps away from her. When I reach her, she opens her mouth to say something as her eyes open wide in surprise, but I grab her arm and pull her into an empty classroom. Shutting the door, I pull her towards me by the arm still in my grasp and push her against the now closed door. Trapping her with my body, I lean forward and kiss her hungrily. Letting out a groan, I release her arm and grab at her shirt greedily, bunching it in my hands as I pull her body flush against mine. Her lips respond eagerly and soon I feel one hand slide into my hair and the other settle at the base of my neck. She lets out a groan when my hands wrap around her body and settle very low on the small of her back. After snogging the life out of her, I lean back and let out a shuttering breath as I rest my forehead against hers. Waiting a few seconds, I stay silent and try to catch my breath as her hand plays with my hair in a way that has my tense shoulders relaxing and my headache receding until it's only a soft throb in the back of my head. I feel her breath blow tiny bursts of air across my lips making me want to close the space between our lips again, but I just enjoy the safety of the quiet classroom before her soft voice breaks the silence.

"Missed me, huh, Malfoy?" I hear her let out a tiny chuckle, but I stay focused on why I dragged her in here. Keeping my forehead pressed against hers, I keep my eyes closed.

"Where have you been, Briar?" She hesitates before replying with a sassy comment.

"Where have I been all your life? Right down the table from you normally." I let out a groan and pull back to look into her eyes. They stare back at me with apprehension and I have a feeling she knows where this conversation is going. This close, I can see just how dark the circles are under her eyes. They look like bruises and her eyes are bloodshot in the corners so she must have been taking potions to keep her eyes clear so she doesn't stumble around all day in a fog.

_Snape probably made it for her since she was leaving his office that day two weeks ago. _

"I have barely seen you the past two weeks and I can see how tired you look. What have you been doing and why haven't you asked for help?" She looks ashamed and looks down as I see her shoulders slump with sheer exhaustion. I bring my hands up to her face and cup her cheeks so I can tilt her face up to look at me. I hadn't realized how much I've missed those eyes and getting to touch her face until now.

"I am getting help. I've been training with Snape and Dumbledore and I'm progressing! I really am, but it takes a lot out of me. Snape has been training me in occlumency and Dumbledore has been showing me memories of my parents from their Hogwarts days. Snape has been giving me Pepper Up Potion to keep me awake because of the…dreams." She looks down and my hands move to her shoulders.

I pull her to me and wrap my arms around her. I feel her shoulder lose more of their tension as if a weight is being lifted from her shoulders just from a simple hug although, the feeling is mutual as I feel the weight of the past two weeks leave my body as I feel her slim body melt into mine. I rest my cheek on the top of her head and realize I was right about her height in those shoes.

"What dreams?"

"Ced…I think? I keep having these dreams about wandering through the hallways at Hogwarts, but someone is always watching me. I had one the other night that confused me though because I don't think it was Cedric. I asked Snape for help, but he just got silent when I described the dream to him. I just wish I could figure it out so I could sleep," she whispers. I pull out of our hug and grab her hand to walk with her side by side to the desk at the front of the room. I sit in the chair behind the desk and motion for her to sit on the desk which she does hesitantly before continuing her story.

"I keep seeing this room with globes, but that's not the confusing part. The confusing part is who is there. I keep seeing your father, Draco and he…I don't know," she says looking me in the eyes with confusion present in her eyes.

"Why would my father be anywhere near you?" I respond immediately. She looks at me in confusion. I can feel the anger building up in me.

"Draco, maybe…" She reaches her hand forward to try and grab onto my hand when I stand out of the chair and walk forward until my hips are cradled by her legs_. _My hands grab her face and make her look at me knowing she needs to understand how serious my next words are.

"My father will _never_ lay a hand on you. If he is ever in the same _room _as you, you can guarantee I will be right between the two of you. He can do whatever he wants to me, but he'd only get to you over my dead body." She looks at me in shock and opens her mouth to respond before the classroom door bursts open and Potter is standing there looking at us in confusion.


	14. Chapter 14

**IMPORTANT NOTICE! I hate Cho and Harry so yeah, that's not happening. Carry on! **

**Briar POV **

"What the bloody hell are you staring at, Potter?" Draco spits out like he has tasted something disgusting. His hands are now possessively clutching my hips as he stands close enough for me to feel the heat of his chest seeping into my sweater. Turning from Harry's shocked face, I turn to look at Draco to see he is staring at Harry with pure hatred from only a few inches from my face. I place my hands on his chest and lightly push to get him to take a step back and release my hips so I can slide off the desk. Draco glances at me and a flicker of hurt flashes in his eyes, but he makes room for me despite not wanting me to move.

"I'm sorry I left like that, Harry. I forgot I needed to meet with Snape so I was on my way to meet him when I ran into Draco," I say as I walk around the desk. Behind me, I hear Draco grit out an angry "_left_?" I hear Draco's expensive, polished shoes clicking against the stone so that he is standing right behind me. He's so close, I can see his shadow overshadowing mine on the grey, stone floor in front of me due to a light hanging from the ceiling behind us.

"You don't have to apologize. I was just worried with how quickly you left the room. I thought you were having another vision," Harry says softly as he walks farther into the room, closing some of the distance between us. I smile at him warmly and ignore the anger I can feel vibrating off of Draco behind me.

"Thank you for checking on me, Harry. I really appreciate it, but no. I didn't have another vision since the last one about the room with the globes."

"You told, _Potter _about your vision?!" Harry finally seemed to notice it was Draco with me and his eyes honed in on him instead of me.

"Not that it matters to you, _Malfoy_, but Briar and I both have visions so we have been helping each other try to figure them out." Draco lets out a scoff and goes to move around me to get in Harry's face. He gets right up in his face and snarls out his next words.

"Actually, _Saint Potter_, it does matter to me because Briar matters to me," he growls out. I look at Draco and I can feel a soft smile light up my face, but it falls when I hear Harry let out a low chuckle.

"Oh really? You, the Prince of Slytherin, cares about someone other than yourself? Briar is smart enough to know you're full of it and so am I." Draco takes a step towards him and shoves him back a few steps.

"Don't pretend like you know her, Potter!" he growls as Harry laughs again and glares at him. I start to walk to where they're standing to intervene.

"Of course, I definitely don't know her at all, Malfoy and I _definitely _wasn't just with her a few minutes ago?" I see Draco reach his right hand back and form a first so I rush forward and grab his arm while Harry keeps a smug smirk on his face.

"Draco!" I say holding onto his arm with my left hand wrapped around his wrist and my right hand on his bicep. He looks at me and I see the anger he holds towards Harry in his eyes, but also the confusion regarding what Harry was saying. I feel anger bubble up inside me for being a cause of that confusion, but I try to control it knowing what happened the last time I got too angry. Turning my head to look at Harry, I glare at him making the smirk fall from his face.

"What the _bloody _hell, Harry? What do you think you're trying to do?" His eyes dart between Draco and me and I realize how deep the hatred between these two run.

"Briar," Harry started to say, but stopped when he saw how angry I was. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be such a prat. It's just…Come on, it's _Malfoy! _You know the rumors about him! Don't tell me you're stupid enough to fall for his games." He gestures his hand at Draco and I have to grip Draco's arm hard to stop it from raising after Harry's comment about me being stupid. Taking a deep breath, I let go of Draco's arm and stand between him and Harry.

"Those rumors were my idea, Harry. It helps keep up his charade of being a puppet for his father to protect both me and him, but he is on my side with Dumbledore," I say keeping out Snape knowing his double agent mission needs to be protected. "Even if he was using me, you don't have a say in my personal life. I'm your friend and I appreciate you trying to help me figure out the visions because it has been helpful, but you don't have the right to attack Draco. He joined the Inquisitorial Squad to get on Umbridge's good side to help protect me."

I see Harry start to process that information so I turn to face Draco who looks emotionless. I stare right into his eyes and start my explanation.

"Draco, I'm a part of Dumbledore's Army with Harry which is the only reason I was with him before. I've been teaching the students how to use wandless magic and how to use a Patronus since I've been able to produce one since I was twelve. My mother taught me before…everything." I see his eyes soften a little at the mention of my mother. I refuse to look down even though I desperately want to look away from his piercing stormy blue eyes that look almost light grey in this light. "I'm sorry I didn't have the chance to tell you and I know you probably feel betrayed I told Harry first and I'm sorry for that. He only found out first because it was Dumbledore's idea to have us keep an eye on each other since we are the two main targets for Voldemort if he finds out about me. We all want the same thing; destroy Voldemort before he hurts too many people." I stare at him pleading with my eyes for him to understand. He glances at Harry before looking at me again.

"Okay," he says monotone with no emotion on his face before looking at Harry again. "If you are truly around to help protect Briar then I will be civil with you, Potter. Not during the day around other classmates, but in private if we ever run into each other," he says before pausing for a moment to glance at me. It's like watching ice melt and soon I see his anger return full force when he snaps his eyes back up at Harry. "However, if you _ever _accuse me of using Briar again, I will end you, _Potter. _Is that clear?" He stares him down until I assume Harry nods because his eyes look back at me.

"Briar?" Harry calls from behind me. I turn my head to look at Harry and see remorse written all over his face. "I'm sorry. For everything. I should get going before Snape catches me out of bed after curfew. You know how much he loves me," he says with some sarcasm in his voice. I let out a chuckle and turn to go give him a hug. Wrapping my arms around him, he slowly wraps them around me and rests his chin on the top of my head. I realize he's a few inches shorter than Draco because he doesn't have to bend down to do that like Draco did earlier.

"Thank you, Harry." I pull back from the hug and place my hands on his shoulders. "I'll see you Monday for training?" He nods his head and smiles before glancing over my shoulder one last time before retreating to the door. After poking his head out to make sure the coast is clear, he quietly shuts the door. With a sigh, I turn around to look at Draco shyly knowing we have to talk about this. He lets out a dark chuckle and I see a darkness in his eyes I have normally only seen directed towards other students like Harry; maliciousness.

"You and Saint Potter are friendly, huh?" He asks spitting out Harry's last name like it's venom. "What else have you told him? Does he know about my confessions in the Room of Requirement about my childhood? I bet he _loved _hearing about poor little Draco being abused by his father and being called worthless almost every day of his life. I'm sure it was a huge confidence boost on his end," he snarls at me. I look at him in shock and take a moment to realize he's not looking me in the eyes. He feels betrayed by me confiding in Harry first, but he's scared I confided in Harry about things he trusted me with.

_The great Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Prince; is jealous over my friendship with Harry Potter. Never in a million years would I have guessed I would be in this position. _

He lets out a huff in anger and stops looking around the room to zone in on the door over my shoulder. Starting to storm towards the door, he goes to brush past me before I grab his hand and intertwine our hands stopping his escape.

"No," I whisper causing his eyes to snap to me, but I avoid his eyes by looking down at our hands. We're standing side by side with my left arms brushing right up against each other. "You get to be mad, but you don't get to act like you don't know where my loyalties lie." I slowly bring my eyes up to his and I see fear in them. Just seeing that emotion in his eyes makes me pause for a moment because I know he doesn't show his emotions as freely as other students our age do.

_He was never allowed to. _

"I may have made a mistake by telling Harry first, but that wasn't my choice; it was Dumbledore's. I've been trying to work up the courage to tell you because I know the subject of your father isn't a pleasant one for you. Was I scared of your reaction to me having a vision of your father in the same room as me? Yes, but I told you anyway. It may have taken me some time, but I was always training until the early hours of the morning. Just because I took some time to process, it doesn't mean I was running to Harry telling him everything. I know you probably don't fully trust me after letting you believe I was just a figment of your imagination in my Animagus form for so long and I'm so sorry for that. If I could have a do over, Draco then I would, but I can't," I say as my voice cracks with emotion.

He turns his body towards me and squeezes my hand with his left to encourage me to continue as his right hand moves my hair behind my left ear. I look back down at our hands and take a deep breath before continuing.

"I would never betray your trust with things you only meant for me to hear. These next two years of school are going to be the hardest of our lives. I want you to be by my side through all of it and I know it won't be easy. We're going to be tested in ways we never thought possible given what's expected of both of us from so many people, but all I want is to be able to keep you safe." I look into his eyes and see that they have started to tear up like mine. "I want to keep _this,_" I hold our hands up between us, "safe." Draco tugs our hands towards his chest causing me to face him so we're toe to toe. He waits for me to finish. With one last moment of silence, I let it all out.

"You confiding in me meant the world to me even if you didn't know it was me. I know we have avoided talking about it, but I would never tell Harry something as personal as what your father put your through all those years and _continues _to put you through. At first, you would only talk about your day, but then you started talking about me and your father and I should have…" I pause to collect my resolve to look him in the eyes. I look directly into those blue eyes that haunted my dreams for weeks while he had no clue I was the one he was venting to. "I should have told you it was me that first day, but I was scared you would get angry and you would resent me. I know that's a terrible excuse and I can't say I have any other reason other than I was scared of how you would react. I've felt drawn to you since that day in the woods when our eyes met. It was like, I don't know…It was like something connected and I know that sounds absolutely insane." I pause and realize I'm getting off track. I place my hands on either side of Draco's face and smile softly at him.

"You, Draco Malfoy, have changed my life. From the day my eyes met yours in the forest, I felt this instant connection to you. I don't know if it has something to do with my magic, my Veela blood, or something else, but everything just made more sense. I didn't want to lose that and I acted like a coward and didn't tell you what I was the first day you caught me in the Room of Requirement. I'm so sorry and I'm sorry Harry acted like an absolute git. I don't know why he tried to make it seem like something was going on between us when it's not. I know you and I haven't established much aside from a few snogging sessions, but I'm not seeing anyone else except for you." I stare at him with vulnerability in my eyes silently asking if I was making up this connection I felt for him. The fact he got so protective when Harry accused him of using me made me feel better, but I needed to hear it come from him.

Staring into Draco's eyes, I slide my hands from his cheeks as the time starts to stretch more and more.

_Great, now you've scared him into silence. Great going, Griffin. You really know how to ruin a good thing. _

I let my hands slide lower until they fall into his hands. They close around my fingers lightly and I look down as I try to come up with something else to say. Maybe even a "_Just kidding!" _would suffice at this point.

"I'm sorry," Draco whispers. I can feel my heart throb a little as I can sense this is about to end with him saying he doesn't feel the same way and I was just a fling. I feel his finger lightly raise my chin until my watery eyes are staring into his as he smiles lightly at me. I look at him in confusion.

"I'm sorry I confused you." I feel my heart shatter some more and I let out a sniffle while nodding my head as a tear slides down my cheek. I look to the left towards the door that could provide me an escape. I hold my crying back knowing now was not the time to break down. I feel a slight sting in my eyes that tells me my eyes just flashed.

"You don't have to apologize, Draco," I reply in a monotone whisper. "I'm the one that confused what this was. I guess Harry was right, huh?" I look into his eyes and see them go from confused to panic.

"No! Merlin, I'm terrible at this. I meant I was sorry I confused you about my feelings." I nod again and move my chin away from his finger. Another tear falls down my face.

"It's not your fault I read the signs wrong, Malfoy. You weren't obligated to return the feelings. I'm just gonna…" I trail off and turn to walk towards the door when I'm spun around and a pair of lips crash into mine. My eyes open in shock, but I pull back and look away.

"I don't want a pity goodbye kiss, Malfoy. You don't feel the same, it's fine. I never…" He cuts me off before I can say anything else.

"DON'T CALL ME MALFOY!" I look at him in shock and confusion. He starts to pace and pull at his hair while frowning slightly. "Briar, please don't call me that like you don't know me. I have these feelings for you that I couldn't figure out because I wasn't raised with normal emotions as you know. I, wow, I'm sorry. I'm really bad at this. Okay, the only woman I have ever loved is my mother and that's how I know I love you. Merlin, that makes it sound like I love you like I love my mother." He stops pacing and huffs out a sigh before closing his eyes for a moment to collect himself.

_Did Draco Malfoy just ramble? Wait, he knows he _loves _me?!_

He opens his eyes and the look of pure happiness and softness in his eyes make the tears fall more. "Briar Griffin, I love you because of your eyes. The sight of your brilliant green eyes staring at me make me almost as happy as when they flash rainbow because it's so _you _and unique that it takes my breath away. You're caring and selfless. You're the complete opposite of who I was raised to be and I feel like you're helping me become the man my father never was to my mother; a good man. That day in the woods when I saw the muggle stand in front of the girl, I didn't understand and I immediately said in my mind that he was a fool and he should have sacrificed her to save himself." I let out a gasp at how cruel that is before trying to speak. He places a finger over my lips and pleads with me with his eyes to let him finish. "I didn't understand until I realized Umbridge had tortured you like she did to Potter. I have never wanted to murder as much as I did in that moment. If we had been in the woods, I would've fought until my last dying breath to protect you. I would _never_ use you. _That _is how I know I love you and please stop crying." He removes his finger from my lips and wipes a few stray tears from my eyes while staring at me sadly for causing my tears.

Opening and closing my mouth a few times, I do the only thing I'm capable of doing. I kiss him.


	15. Chapter 15

**So I was stuck waiting for my car's brakes to be replaced as well as an oil change for THREE HOURS so enjoy the boredom that turned into this amazing chapter. Adulting may not be so bad! *she says sarcastically, but you got a chapter out of it so you're welcome* Also, as for Briar's family history, I was super interested in the whole occlumency thing that Snape tried to train Harry in so I'm doing a spin on that with Briar's abilities. I think it makes the story more interesting, but if anyone has ideas of what other abilities I should give her then absolutely scroll to the bottom and type out a review!**

**WARNING: SMUT AHEAD! Don't like, don't read. No flames, kiddos.**

**Briar's POV**

**Previously…**

**_He opens his eyes and the look of pure happiness and softness in his eyes make the tears fall more. "Briar Griffin, I love you because of your eyes. The sight of your brilliant green eyes staring at me make me almost as happy as when they flash rainbow because it's so you and unique that it takes my breath away. You're caring and selfless. You're the complete opposite of who I was raised to be and I feel like you're helping me become the man my father never was to my mother; a good man. That day in the woods when I saw the muggle stand in front of the girl, I didn't understand and I immediately said in my mind that he was a fool and he should have sacrificed her to save himself." I let out a gasp at how cruel that is before trying to speak. He places a finger over my lips and pleads with me with his eyes to let him finish. "I didn't understand until I realized Umbridge had tortured you like she did to Potter. I have never wanted to murder as much as I did in that moment. If we had been in the woods, I would've fought until my last dying breath to protect you. I would never use you. That is how I know I love you and please stop crying." He removes his finger from my lips and wipes a few stray tears from my eyes while staring at me sadly for causing my tears. _**

**_Opening and closing my mouth a few times, I do the only thing I'm capable of doing. I kiss him. _**

I expect him to accept the kiss readily, but he pulls back and looks at me with vulnerability. Cupping my cheek in his hand, he looks at me with a look I can't distinguish. I smile at him softly and lean forward to give him a small peck on the lips which he pulls away from as well.

"I love you too, Draco," I say in a shy whisper. I realize this is the first time I'm saying those words to anyone since my parents died and the magnitude of it is not lost on me. Apparently, it isn't lost on him either because he looks at me with a smile so big that I'm afraid his cheeks are going to hurt tomorrow. Draco pulls me into a bone crushing hug and lifts me off the floor to spin me around before setting me back down. He leans forward to place his forehead against mine with that smile still set on his face.

"You said it back," he whispers with a light blush heating up his cheeks. I look at him in confusion so he continues. "I, uh…You kissing me had me worried you didn't feel the same and you were scared to say so. I've never told anyone I love them aside from my mother so I was worried I said it wrong or something." I let out a soft laugh and pull away from his face so I can look into his eyes more clearly.

"There's no right way or wrong way to say it. I was just trying to process that you said it in the first place. I thought you were trying to tell me you were just having fun with me like Harry said so your response shocked me which is why I kissed you. I was processing. Although, do I need an excuse to kiss you?" I say in a seductive whisper after a slight pause. He lets out a low groan and looks in my eyes as his hands wrap around my waist. With my body flush against his, I place my hands against his chest and look into his eyes before glancing down at his lips which are still in that huge smile.

"You definitely don't need an excuse to kiss me," he says in a low, raspy voice. He rubs his nose against mine softly and I let out a giggle before his lips cover mine in a slow kiss.

_Oh Merlin, this boy has me giggling like a love-sick school girl. _

His lips slowly caress mine. One thing I love about kissing Draco is how soft his lips are and how they always taste of something sweet. Trapping my lower lip in a kiss, he teases me by running his tongue along my bottom lip. I let out a groan and bury a hand in his hair and clutch the fabric of his black button down shirt with my other. I grab his bottom lip between my teeth teasingly and pull it towards me. Releasing it, I let out a small breath of air against his lip and something in both of us seems to snap when the air hits his lips. I shove his robes off his shoulders before he returns the favor in a rush. His hands wrap under my thighs to hoist me into the air leaving our robes laying discarded on the cold, stone floor. My legs wrap around and hug his hips while he hungrily claims my lips. I feel him lightly set me on the desk I was on before and, with a gasp, I pull back for air as he kisses across my cheek and to my neck. Finding a sweet spot, he starts to suck on it as I let out a whimper.

"Draco," I whisper breathlessly. My hands fumble for the first button on his shirt before his hands join mine to hastily unbutton the rest. I pull back and look at his toned body. His chest is defined and stomach toned. I bite my lip in appreciation. I place both of my hands on his chest and slowly run them down his smooth skin to map out his body until I settle on his pants buckle. Grasping it in my hands, I pull him back to me so he can claim my lips again. I can't get enough of his lips. A hand rests behind my neck as his bruising kisses demand more. I feel his other hand clutch the bottom of my sweater. His hand travels from my neck to slowly caress down my body and he skims the side of my breast. I can feel his warmth radiating from the hand on the small of my back that has managed to sneak past the bottom edge of my sweater. His hand slides lower to slip past the hem of my pants with his fingertips. Pressing his hand into my back, he pulls my body closer to him for a moment before I can't feel his hands on me anymore. Pulling back in confusion, I see the mischievous glint in his eyes. His hands tug my sweater over my head and surveys me in my black and green lacey bra with admiration. Dropping my sweater on the floor, he shrugs his dress shirt off his shoulders.

"Beautiful," he whispers as he leans forward to place slow, leisurely kisses on my collarbone. His hands grab mine and slowly skims his hands up both of my arms until he freezes. He looks down at my left arm in horror. _Shit. _His eyes glaze over and I can see the anger return. I look down and glance at what I know he's staring at. Against my pale, smooth skin, I can see the words that Umbridge forced me to write into my own flesh. The redness has faded over the weeks, but there is still pink scarring around the edges of the letters as well as some raised skin.

**I must not be disloyal.**

Draco's eyes meet mine and soften a little at the realization of why I got upset when I mentioned my loyalties after Harry left. I make a move to scoot off the desk to grab my sweater in embarrassment, but he lets go of my hands and walks forward to lean his arms against the desk; effectively trapping me where I'm seated. I look into his eyes and wait for him to say something, but he just stares into my eyes before looking down at my arm again. I look down and cross my arms over my chest to cover myself up, but also to hide the words I had unwillingly received a few weeks ago.

"Don't hide from me," Draco says softly. Glancing up, I see him reach forward to grab my left arm. At first I resist, but he keeps softly tugging until I give in. Bringing my arm close to his body, he leans forward and kisses over each letter as if to try and heal the words. His face hardens as he leans back and looks me in the eyes. Blue meets green and I see barely contained anger.

"I know Umbridge did this. I want to know why," he growls.

"Class," I squeak out. He looks at me in confusion and waits for me to explain more. "That day when she said Cedric wasn't murdered by Voldemort, I went to the Room of Requirement as you know. After you left though, I wanted…I _needed _to confront her and her lies. I saw what happened to Cedric, Draco."

"How is that possible?"

"My visions. I don't just get them when I'm asleep. After second year when I had the dream about Harry in the Chamber of Secrets, I demanded answers from Dumbledore. He was so sure my vision was true and it seemed like he knew more than he was telling me when he had Fawkes go find Harry. He did," I say taking a deep breath. "My visions were apparently something I could train myself to utilize whenever I needed to in different ways. It's part of my family's mysterious past according to Dumbledore and my parents being such a rare couple. Over the years, I've continued training and Dumbledore and Snape realized I can actually use occlumency in many different ways; one of them being I can share memories with others I'm close with. Snape is convinced I can push myself into other's minds like Voldemort if I continue training. I'm actually making a lot of progress with that and that's why I've been so tired and walking around like a zombie. Anyway, I saw Harry's memories of what happened. During training for Dumbledore's Army, Harry asked me about my abilities so I asked if I could see Ced's last moments as a demonstration."

"What happened with Umbridge when you went back to see her?" His hands settle on my thighs and start to rub soothing circles into them. The warmth from his hands offsetting the damp air around us in the classroom.

"I called her a liar and that I trusted what Harry said over her. Some may say I was trying to be bold and honorable in Ced's name, but she saw it as being disloyal. She didn't even say anything other than asking if I wanted some tea so, confused, I sat down and she pulled out her quill and some parchment paper and…" I trail over and gesture at my arm. Draco nods his head and I notice his hands are gripping my thighs instead of drawing circles now.

"I can't be in her Inquisitorial Squad. I'll end up hexing the bitch," he says as a matter of fact. I shake my head, grab his hands between mine, and start to rub my thumbs on the top of his hands in a soothing manner.

"I'm not going to force you to be one of her groupies, but you being in the Inquisitorial Squad could be a good thing. You could be a lookout for me and Harry when it comes to her getting close. You could warn us when we need to be careful." I look at him with a hopeful glint in my eye. With a sigh and a slump of his shoulders, I know he agrees it's a good plan.

"I know that's the best plan to keep both of us safe, but if she EVER lays a hand on you again…"

"…I'll hex her myself and leave her for you to finish off," I finished for him. I place my hands on his shoulders. "Draco, I'm not scared of Umbridge or the Ministry. I have much bigger enemies when Voldemort finds out I exist."

_Unfortunately, I couldn't even say _if _he finds out about me since it's inevitable. Snape made that very clear. _

"Briar, I want you to come home with me for break tomorrow." I stare at him in confusion at the sudden change of topic.

"What?"

"I want you to come be with me and my mother at the Manor for break. My father is never there on breaks because he always has some business to take care of. I could keep you safe there and my mother has been asking about you," he admits while blushing. I smile and tease him softly.

"Has _the _Draco Malfoy been writing to his mother about _me_? Well, I must say I'm flattered and kind of cold," I say while letting out a laugh. Draco smiles at me and drapes his button up shirt around my shoulder. I pull my arms through the sleeves, but don't bother buttoning up the buttons.

"I'm serious, Briar. I don't know who you plan on staying with, but I highly doubt they have a place as guarded and warded as the Manor," he says imploringly. Letting out a sigh, I think it over while explaining my situation to him.

"I actually was just going to stay at Hogwarts. I technically don't have a legal guardian anymore since my parents passed. Amos, Ced's father, offered for me to stay with him, but it's a muggle town and I would need to keep practicing with Snape over break."

"He could come to the Manor to train you! He's my god father so it wouldn't look suspicious," Draco says excitedly. "Besides, my mother already agreed it would be best for you to stay there so we can keep an eye on you given the situation. She knows about what happened to your parents there because of my father bragging about it and she feels horrible he…" He trails off at the look of sadness on my face. I nod my head and pull his button up around me more securely as if to ward off the bad feelings about my parent's murder.

"So she knows what happened to them," she whispers.

"No, she just knows where it happened and that my father had a hand in it. He has been secretive about how they…passed," he says with shame in his voice. "I'm so sorry he had a hand in it, Briar. I hope you know that. I know how cruel he is from personal experience, but the fact he has caused you pain and sadness when I couldn't do anything to protect you…" He trails off as I reach my hand up to place it on his cheek in a comforting way.

"You didn't know I existed then. You didn't have an obligation to protect anyone and you certainly don't have any reason to apologize to me for your father's actions. I have to get to Snape's office for my session since I'm already _very _late, but yes, Draco. If Snape agrees then I will absolutely go home with you for break." He smiles and leans forward to give me a lingering kiss before I go to hand him his button up from my body. He takes one more appreciately look up and down my body before grinning at me. I wink at him and start to redress. After we're both done redressing, we walk to the door and I turn to say goodnight to him.

"Please be careful with Snape. I don't want you hurting yourself," he says in a protective tone. I smile and lean forward to give him a kiss on the cheek and then the lips.

"Snape knows what he's doing, don't worry. Goodnight, Draco. I will see you tomorrow at the station?" He nods his head and sends me a smirk.

"I'll be the one looking devastatingly handsome," he says happily. I let out a soft chuckle and take in the sight of his mused hair that I had my hands buried in before.

_He looks thoroughly disheveled and snogged. Do I really need to go to this meeting with Snape…?_

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I notice he's staring at me with a knowing grin. I lean on my toes to get to his lips and place an unhurried kiss on his lips. I feel him lean into the kiss so I pull back and he lets out a pained groan.

"I'll be the one imagining what you look like under that shirt," I say seductively. I turn to walk out the door and I hear him growl out a response.

"Tease!" I laugh and start down the hallway before I feel a hand grab onto my arm. I whip around ready to defend myself, but see it's just Draco.

"Forget something, Draco?" He nods his head and leans down to give me a kiss on the lips. He lingers for a moment before pulling back and smiling.

"I love you. Goodnight, Briar," he says with a cheek splitting smile. I smile right back at him and blush a little.

"I love you too, Draco. Goodnight." With one last kiss, I turn and make my way towards Snape office. I take one last glance down the hallway before turning the corner and see Draco is standing in the middle of the hallway watching me walk away. Or rather, a _part _of me that walks away. His eyes flick up to my face when he sees I've stopped and he blushes at getting caught. I wink at him and make my way around the corner.

* * *

"Mr. Malfoy actually had a decent plan for once," Snape drawls. "Yes, I will agree to you going to the Manor for your protection for the duration of break, but I must warn you to keep your eyes focused on your goal. You need to keep up with your training if you want to gain control of your full abilities before Voldemort finds out about you."

"You make it sound like it's inevitable. Why?" I say with confusion laced in my tone.

"You have gotten close to Mr. Potter, have you not?" I stay silent and confirm his question with a nod. "Voldemort has a connection with Mr. Potter that allows them…access to certain information. I will not go into too much detail as you are not ready for this information." I roll my eyes at him and earn one of his rare smirks. "However, with access to Mr. Potter's memories, it is only a matter of time that he finds out about you. Not to mention your _relations _with Mr. Malfoy," he says staring me right into my eyes. I blush and look down with a soft smile lighting up my face. I can feel him trying to edge into my mind, but I keep my wall up and successfully keep him out. I look up to see him surveying me.

"That was rather impressive, Ms. Griffin. Let us try again." For the next few hours, Snape attempts to get into my mind and, while he is successful, he only gets through my wall three times over the course of three hours due to my exhaustion towards the end. Sweat has collected on my brow. I wipe my face on my sweater and look at Snape with a satisfied yet drained smile.

"Thank you, Professor Snape." He looks taken aback at my gratitude so I chuckle and continue. "You and Dumbledore have made it your goal to take me on as a protégé ever since second year. While I don't fully believe you don't know more than you're letting on, you have made it a priority to make sure my mind won't be subject to Voldemort's mind torture. I know I have a long way to go, but I've uncovered so much about my abilities in the past three years thanks to you two and after my parents…Just, thank you." I say emotionally. I see a flicker of something in his eyes before his mask is back up.

"No gratitude necessary, Ms. Griffin. It is my job as a professor here to…_oomph_," he says when I rush forward and hug him. I smile when I feel his arms loosely wrap around me in a hug.

"I know you have emotions, Severus. You should show them more often in private," I say pulling back before continuing. "Some smile lines would do your complexion some good," I exclaim with a teasing tone. He scoffs and I pretend to not notice the smile he lets out before he turns to face me again once he reaches his desk.

"I will release you a little bit early," I glance at the clock and raise my eyebrow at him when I notice it is 12:30, "so that you can pack for your trip to Malfoy Manor. I will give you tomorrow and Sunday off, but I expect you to be ready to work again on Monday!" I smile and thank him before leaving to make my way to the Slytherin Common Room. Rushing to my solo dormitory, I pack quickly using magic before finally changing into my night clothes to call it a night.

_This break will definitely be interesting. _


	16. Chapter 16

**Yes, I know. I know. Another Briar POV chapter, but she _is _my OC and understanding her connections and emotions is important too. We'll be getting back to Draco's POV next chapter for the second half of the chapter after Briar meets a certain someone;) Also omg two chapters in one day? Today must be your lucky day! **

**Briar POV**

Over the next few weeks, I continue my work with Snape while I stay at Malfoy Manor. The very first day I came to the Manor, I was nervous about meeting Narcissa, but I quickly found she was the most amazing mother to Draco and was the complete opposite of Lucius. She encouraged Draco to talk about his time at school, mostly about Quidditch and how unfortunately the Slytherin team was slacking in training. He talked passionately about how he loves being a Prefect and how he hopes to be one again next year so he can continue to have his own dormitory. His reasoning will forever be one of my favorite things to laugh about.

**"Crabbe and Goyle are great when I need information, but those two idiots mumble in their sleep more than Saint Potter. Don't even get me started on the noises that come out of their fat arses." I start laughing so hard I have to clutch my sides with tears streaming down my face.**

**"Draco! Language. You are in the presence of a lady!" Narcissa reminds Draco. He rolls his eyes.**

**"Yes, mother," he says in a bored tone before turning to me to send me a wink. I laugh even harder and soon all three of us are laughing happily. **

I smile thinking of the memory as I walk around to my closet to find clothes for the day. Lost in my thoughts, I hadn't noticed the door to my room opening. Strong arms wrap around me and I lean back into Draco's strong chest with a hum of contentment. I stare into my closet and try to figure out what outfit to wear for today out of all of the ones I've gotten over the break. One of the perks of being here is Narcissa always wanted a daughter so shopping sprees have been a weekly thing. I always refuse when she offers to pay because I have enough money to last me a life time through my parent's will, but every time we get back I always find something I didn't buy nestled into the tissue paper of my packages.

"Happy Christmas, my doe," Draco whispers into my ear. A shiver runs down my spine and I feel him squeeze me to him tighter knowing he had that effect on me.

"Happy Christmas, my dragon," I whisper back while turning in his arms. His arms settle loosely around my waist and mine wrap around his neck so I can play with the hair at the base of his neck while leaning in for a much needed good morning kiss. His arms slip down to pull me to him by my ass. He lets out a hum of approval and squeezes lightly before letting his hands just rest there. I can feel his warm hands through my very thin sleep shorts and I have to squeeze my thighs together to keep my hormones under control. Living in close proximity with Draco has been a test of self-control for both of us, but his mother purposefully gave us separate rooms so I want to be respectful of her wishes. Now, does that mean Draco and I haven't snuck off to explore each other in the dark corners of the manor when she went out? Absolutely not because we're both hormonal sixteen year olds, but when she's right downstairs, I know I need to get him to behave.

"Remind me to thank Snape for making you learn how to spar. I'll have to convince him to train me at the same time so I can see your workout." After I mastered keeping Snape out of my mind successfully for four hours, he started physical training with me saying it would make it easier to strengthen my mind if my body was just as strong. I have shredded off the left-over baby fat I had left on my body and have toned every part of my body. I'm rather proud of the definition to my stomach, arms, and legs, which are pure muscle now, while Draco is just having fun with the extra curves he can grab onto like my thighs and ass.

"Hmmm watch you work out? I think I'll have to have a talk with Snape," I say teasingly. He leans down and gives me another peck on the lips.

"What are your plans today?"

"I'm staying here until the evening and then I'm going to visit Harry." His hands clench a little where they're resting causing me to let out a needy whimper. I stare up at him with sad puppy dog eyes and he smirks evilly before doing it again to gain the same result.

"Why are you going to see Potter when you could stay here with me making noises like that for hours? Mother is going out with some friends to a Christmas ball so we have the whole place to ourselves," he whispers suggestively as he leans towards me to try and steal another kiss. I groan and shy away from his kiss.

"I have a present for him because we _are _friends whether you like it or not as well as Ginny. Plus, we're going to visit Mr. Weasley so he can be a part of Christmas." Draco lets out a scoff.

"Yes, I remember you were writing the little Weaslette the other day. How did you two become friends again? Potter I get the Dumbledore's Army thing, but Weasel too?" I roll my eyes at his Malfoy attitude, but choose to ignore it.

"I saw what she went through with Tom Riddle's diary. She's a very good student and has picked up a lot of techniques in training. I approached her and I told her about my ability and how I was the one that alerted Dumbledore about her and Harry being in danger and she hugged me before thanking me profusely. She's a great friend and she's actually really fun to talk to! She understands growing up as the only girl in a house full of brothers so she understands how frustrating boys can be," I say with a teasing edge to my voice.

"Oh yeah? Do I frustrate, Griffin?" His hands pull me closer by the curves of my ass and gets close to my face. I hum in agreement.

"Yes, more than you'll ever know," I say in a raspy whisper. I lean forward to start to close the distance between the two of us so I can tell him through action how turned on he managed to make me with just a few words, but just before our lips can meet, there is a knock on the door.

"Briar, are you…Oh! I'm sorry, dear," Narcissa says opening to door to see us standing with my back to Draco's chest as both of us look like we were staring into my closet. Draco's arms are now wrapped around my waist again. "I didn't realize you were here with Briar, Draco."

"Yes, mother. I was just coming to get her for breakfast when she said she couldn't figure out what to wear so I was helping her." A smile crosses Narcissa's face, but I can tell she doesn't believe that lie for a moment.

"Well, come on down when you're ready. I'm sure you're both so excited to open the presents," she says with an excited smile before closing the door again. I hear Draco moan behind me.

"She has no idea how excited I am," he whispers while nipping at my neck.

"Oh yes, I can feel it against the small of my back so _if _you don't mind." I move forward and walk towards my closet and grab the outfit I decided on. I turn and see him pouting at me. I chuckle and with a quick "later" directed towards him, I send him downstairs so I can get ready. Quickly changing into my black leggings, a light blue blouse, and my leather boots; I move onto my make-up and apply minimal nude shades with a light pink shade of lipstick. Waving my wand, I fix my hair into loose curls and, after a quick check in the mirror, I make my way downstairs.

* * *

The day goes by uneventfully with breakfast and lunch passing quickly before Narcissa gathers us for presents before she leaves for her ball. Draco and I were invited, but we decided we wanted to have a night in after I get back from visiting Harry and the Weasleys. Narcissa gets me lots of make-up, beautiful dresses, and earrings as well as an enchanted brush that keeps static out of your hair in the winter. For Draco, she got him some new button down shirts, Quidditch gear, and new cuff links with his initials on them. Between both Draco and I, we got Narcissa new dresses, Draco got her a framed photo of her and him from his first day at Hogwarts, and I got her an enchanted journal that shows rare flower remedies that will help with her garden. She sheds some tears when she opens the photo and the journal and gives us both a hug before wiping her tears away and saying she has to leave.

Once she leaves for the ball by the floo, Draco and I exchange gifts. For him, I got him one of those advanced cleaners for his Quidditch equipment, a new Potions book he had eyed when we visited Hogsmeade the other day, and a necklace. When he opens the necklace, he looks at me with tears in his eyes. I take it from him and place it around his neck so that it rests right next to his heart.

"This way I'll always be with you no matter where you are," I whisper as he stares at me with love in his eyes. He glances down at the necklace again and lifts it to admire it closer. It's a silver chain with a dainty, silver doe attached to it. I had enchanted it so that the emerald in place of the doe's eyes will not only sparkle in the light, but they will also release a tiny rainbow when I need to see him immediately.

"The eyes are enchanted. If I'm ever in trouble, it will flash a tiny rainbow from the eyes like mine do. It'll also warm up so you can feel it too in case you don't see the rainbow if it's under your shirt." Draco lets a tear fall out of his eye before standing up and rushing over to the tree. Staring at him in confusion, he grabs one of my presents from him and pushes it into my hand eagerly with a bright smile. Opening the package, I gasp when I see what he got me. Inside the packaging is a rose gold chain with a dragon attached to it. In place of the eyes, there are two light blue, aquamarine stones.

"I didn't even think to enchant it so you would know when I was in danger. Would you maybe…?" He stares at me happily and expectantly as I cast my spell on the stones and with a flash, I see a tiny rainbow disappear into the eyes of the dragon.

"Done," I say with a proud smile. "Now I'll know if you need my help. Help me put it on?" I turn and move my hair and he places it around my neck before clasping it into place. It's the perfect length and rests right next to my heart, nestled between my breasts. I open his other present and have to stop my lip from trembling. I cover my mouth with one hand and hold the frame in the other as I let out a soft sob. In my hands, I see my sixteenth birthday photo with me in an emerald green dress between my parents. My father is standing on the right of me with a white button down shirt, a black bow tie, and black dress pants and shoes. My mother on the left of me is wearing a long, pale pink gown that reaches the floor with her diamond, heart necklace my father got her proudly on display. We're all smiling.

"This is the last photo I took with them before…How…?" I stare at him with wide eyes.

"I called in a favor with Snape," he says bashfully. I place the frame on the table and crawl into his lap to straddle him with my arms wrapped tightly around his neck as I thank him into his hair. I place kisses to the side of his head as his arms wrap tightly around me as he rubs his hand up and down my back soothingly as my sobs get quieter.

"Thank you," I say leaning back to kiss him sweetly on the lips. "I love you so much, my dragon." He smiles at me warmly and brushes my hair behind my ear.

"And I love you, my beautiful doe."


	17. Chapter 17

**This chapter has a MAJOR plot scene between Sirius and Harry and I have to say I was always in love with the father son role they had. Sirius is by far one of my favorite characters. **

**Briar POV**

"BRIAR!" I turn my head to the source of the noise and am suddenly taking a step back to keep myself standing upright when a body crashes into me. I laugh and squeeze back before pulling back to see Ginny's smiling face.

"Hey Gin! How are you doing?" Her face falls a little bit, but I see her try to keep a brave face on.

"I'm doing alright. Dad is doing much better thankfully." My response is interrupted by Harry walking over to us. I give her a silent look indicating we'll talk about it later in private before smiling at Harry and giving him a hug.

"Hey, Harry. So I heard you were a hero once again?" I say before stepping out of the hug to smirk at him. He blushes and I give him a wide smile.

"I don't have control over it like you do with your visions. I'm just lucky I was asleep when I had the vision so I could help Mr. Weasley," he says scratching the base of his neck nervously.

"Harry, you saved Mr. Weasley. It doesn't matter how or why so stop acting like you're defending yourself and say thank you for the compliment." I roll my eyes when he scowls at me. I turn to Ginny to direct my question.

"Are all guys this stubborn when it comes to taking a compliment? It's like pulling teeth." Ginny shrugs and we all make our way to the long table that Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George are standing at.

"Ron, it's nice to see you when you're not _letting _Hermione beat you in sparring," I say with a roll of my eyes.

"Oh, shove it, Griffin," he says moodily before glancing at Hermione. I see her stifling a laugh behind her hand and I go over to give her a hug.

"It's good to see you, Mione," I say before staying between her and Fred. He shoves me slightly in the side and I giggle and shove him back causing him to stare at me with mock hurt. I noticed Harry isn't in the room anymore, but I focus my attention on watching the Santa toy Fred and George created for the shop fly around until Molly comes in with Arthur in a wheelchair with a paper crown one his head a few moments later.

"Here we go! Daddy's back," Molly says laughing gleefully while we all clap. Taking a seat, Molly starts to hand out presents to everyone and I look at her in shock when she hands me one too.

"Molly, you didn't…" She waves me off.

"Nonsense. Any friend of Ginny's is a friend of mine, especially you. You saved my daughter's life in second year," she says causing me to look at Ginny in shock before returning my gaze back to Molly. "Yes, she told me and I'm excited to finally meet you. You are always welcomed here, darling. You are family now." My eyes water a little at the thought of them being nice enough to give me a Christmas present, let alone let me into their family. I stand quickly and wrap Molly into a bone crushing hug. She hugs back and I feel at home to have a motherly presence in my life again. Narcissa is a great woman, but I know she isn't a mother who utilizes muggle inventions like Molly and my mother did. The knowledge Molly is so similar to my mother makes our connection different.

"Thank you," I whisper and pull back from the hug to see her staring at me with a prideful smile on her face before turning back to be next to Arthur. Everyone opens their various clothing items she made and I open my package to find a nice, warm sweater in a burgundy red much like the Gryffindor red. I gasp and thank Molly and Arthur profusely.

"Better not let Malfoy see you wear that. He might get jealous and think you like us Gryffindors better," Ginny teases. I laugh and stick my tongue out at her childishly. It feels so nice to be able to be a child and not have to worry about training, Voldemort, and my upcoming confrontation with him will be.

"Wait, you and _Malfoy?!_" Ron exclaimed in shock. I let out a huff and gave Ginny a look that looked as equally annoyed as my face must have looked.

"Oh, Harry! Harry, there you are!" Molly grabbed his present and ran over to him in excitement. I see him smile and give Molly a hug. "Happy Christmas. Happy to have you with us." She walks back over to the front of the table and grabs her glass as we all raise our glasses in a toast to Harry for saving Mr. Weasley. I smirk at him when he meets my eye, but I notice he looks uncomfortable. After toasting, he turns and looks at the man who stands in the doorway with a haunted glint in his eye. Dinner goes by rather fast and soon Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I are making our way downstairs while Hermione berates Ron on why he doesn't want to wear his present.

"I can't understand why you don't want to wear it, Ronald."

"Because I look a bloody idiot, that's why!" I chuckle and nudge Harry, but see he's looking over the railing at something in another room. I follow him into the room before we're both startled by an elderly elf who looks to have seen many events both good and bad. He seemed wise, but his eyes held an unspeakable coldness to them.

"Harry Potter, The Boy who stopped the Dark Lord. Friend of mudbloods and blood traitors alike. If my poor Mistress was…"

"KREACHER! That's enough of your bile. Away with ya!" The man that was standing in the doorway before comes down the stairs to dismiss the misguided elf.

"Of course, Master. Kreacher lives to serve the noble family of Black." He mumbles and I find myself rather fascinated with the coldness I can feel coming from the small elf towards his Master when I reach out to access the emotions in his mind.

"Sorry about that. He never was very pleasant even when I was a boy. Well, not to me anyway."

"You grew up here?" Harry asks.

"This is my parent's house. I offered it to Dumbledore as headquarters for The Order. About the only useful thing I've been able to do. This is the Black family tree," he says steering the conversation away from his short comings. "My deranged cousin. I hated them rotten. My parents with their pureblood mania. My mother did that after I ran away. Charming woman. I was sixteen." He looks sad as if reliving the memories and I reach my mind out to lightly caress his as well to see if I can read his emotions undetected.

Sorrow. Anger. Guilt? I let my mind come back to me as I can feel his consciousness start to feel my presence. Snape and I had been working on being undetected so I can read people without their knowledge. Being able to reach his mind for those moments was a huge milestone as it was the first time I wasn't detected right away.

"Where did you go?" Harry's voice broke me out of my thoughts.

"Your Dad's. I was always welcomed at the Potter's. I see him so much in you, Harry. You are so very much alike."

"I'm not so sure," Harry says quietly. He fills Sirius in on the dream and reveals what he told me about the dream about how he felt when he discovered Arthur. He had started to feel guilty about feeling the anger and a connection with the snake in his dream. We had discussed it the day after when he asked me to stay after one of the training sessions. Sirius stays silent trying to process what Harry said so I go up to the man staring at his family on the wall in silence and stick my hand out to shake his hand.

"Hello. My name is Briar Griffin and you are…?" He looks at me skeptically before shaking my hand with a tight grip before releasing just as quickly.

"Sirius Black. Harry's godfather." I look at him with wide eyes and piece together that this was the man Harry has told me about.

"_You're _Sirius? Harry has told me so much about you! He looks up to you like a father really," I say before Harry lets out an annoyed whine of my name. Sirius lets out a chuckle before visibly losing the wariness he had about me.

"That would be me," he says chuckling. He looks to Harry and asks "Is this your girlfriend?" I look at Harry and silently watch him blush and start to stutter out a denial.

"NO! I mean, I would be lucky to have…" I look at him with a raise of my eyebrow and he switches what he was going to say. "She's with Malfoy!" I roll my eyes and start to explain to Sirius what Harry was too flustered to say.

"No, Sirius. I'm not Harry's girlfriend. I'm actually with Draco Malfoy, but it was supposed to be a _secret_," I hiss at Harry. Turning back to Sirius, I finish my thoughts. "Although, the entire Weasley family now knows because Ginny told them so I guess we've been outed already. I'll have to break it to him later when I return to the manor."

"You're _staying _with Malfoy?" Harry says in disbelief. I give him a look that makes him look down with a pout. I hear Sirius chuckling behind me, but I turn and give him a glare.

"What's funny about that? Draco is a perfectly fine wizard," I say defensively. Sirius raises his eyebrow at me.

"You do know he is destined to be a Death Eater if his father has anything to say about it, right?" I scoff and sneer back my response in a tone that would make Salazar Slytherin jealous.

"Not if I have anything to say about it. Lucius doesn't scare me," I say defiantly. I can feel Sirius's emotion of admiration from edging into his mind in my state of anger. One thing I haven't mastered is controlling my mind invading when I let my emotions get the best of me. Sirius looks to Harry and gives him a smirk.

"I like her. It's too bad Malfoy got her first." Looking at me he continues his speech. "I admire your fire. I want both of you to listen to me very carefully, especially you after that dream, Harry." He turns to Harry and speaks directly to him. "You're not a bad person. You're a very good person that bad things have happened to. You understand?"

Harry nods his head and I see how Sirius is placing his hands on Harry's shoulders in a fatherly way. It reminds me of when my father would tell me my mistakes didn't define me, but rather what I did next. I look on at the interaction with envious eyes, but feel happy I had as much time with my father as I did. Harry didn't have that opportunity. I see Sirius turn so he can look between the both of us.

"Besides, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are." Sirius looks at me and I can sense he means that last portion to be directed at me about Draco. I let that sink and realize I don't know how much pull Lucius has on him.

"Harry, time to go." Hermione pops her head into the room causing Harry to nod at her. "Goodbye, Briar. It was lovely to see you. I'll see you in Potions?" I smile and nod my head at her gaining a smile from her as well.

"When all of this is over, we'll be a proper family. You'll see." I turn and see Sirius and Harry hugging. Harry waves at me and I wave back before going to walk closer to Sirius.

"You don't know me so it's alright to be wary of me, but I have no ulterior motives with Harry other than being here to help him." Sirius looks at me with a nod and smirks a little. Looking at me, he nods his head knowingly.

"You're the one Dumbledore told the Order of, right? The girl with rare magic and enough fire to keep Harry on track with defeating the Dark Lord. I can see why he likes you so much. Although, does he know of your involvement with Malfoy?"

"Yes, he does. He's not the only one and apparently, that number is destined to get bigger," I say in an exasperated tone. "I don't think Draco puts his best foot forward from all of the reactions I've gotten from others when they found out about us. Hell, Ginny didn't speak to me for a week before she heard me out. Harry, forget it. He almost fought Draco when he saw the two of us together. I think the only person who reacted without a negative reaction was Hermione. She said she always had a suspicion he had to please his father." Sirius looks at me with sympathy and places his hands on my shoulders. I can feel the empathy flowing from him as he looks into my soul.

"I understand wanting to please family, but you need to be prepared that there may be a day where he has to choose them in order to survive." I nod my head as I've thought of that already.

"I know," I say sadly. "I've thought of that and if that's what he needs to do then I will respect that. We both know this won't be easy with a war coming and I know how important family is no matter how rough things get with the members of that family. If I had the chance to do something to save my parents, I would've done anything. If I have to let him go, I will no matter how much it hurts me." He nods his head and gives me a hug in understanding. I take a deep breath and pull away from the hug. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a manor to get back to so he doesn't think I'm not coming back," I say teasingly. Sirius lets out a chuckle and watches me walk to the entrance of the room.

"Briar," Sirius says making me hum in question and turn my head to look at him. "Don't lose that light in you because you have so much of it. That light will keep propelling you forward with your mission." I look at him in appreciation and nod my head in agreement before exiting the room. Leaving the room, I realize my mission might be coming to a head sooner than I thought it would.

_Time to speak with Snape._

**Want an update? Better drop a review so I know someone actually likes this story and wants me to continue! I won't be updating until I get at least one review and then who knows? Maybe you'll get two chapters the same day as a reward ;p **


	18. Chapter 18

**So no reviews yet, guys. I've gotta say I'm disappointed. I already have the next chapter written, but I'm not uploading anymore of this story unless I get a review. Remember, this is my first story and first introduction to writing on Fanfiction so reviews are invited and wanted. I want feedback to make sure I'm actually going in a direction people want for this story! **

**Draco POV **

The next few weeks seem to fly by and soon, we're in the middle of the school year with Umbridge trying her hardest to get rid of Dumbledore. Her effort to figure out where Dumbledore's Army is hiding has tripled and she is running me absolutely mad with how annoying she is about finding them, but she has taken a special liking to me so I don't have to worry about her finding out I'm just here to help Briar. The worst part, however, is that she has started to use Veritaserum on students to ask answers. So far, none of the DA students have been dragged into questioning.

"Ms. Chang, please take a set." I turn my head as I sit on a chair with Goyle and Crabbe sitting on the couch across from me in Umbridge's office. Cho Chang is being escorted into the office by Umbridge herself and is asked to sit. I mentally kick myself for jinxing myself because I know for a fact she's in DA with Briar and Potter. Umbridge walks over to her desk and pulls out a flask of the serum before dropping a few drops into Cho's tea while she's looking around the horridly pink office. Quickly placing the serum back into her desk, she clears her throat in a way that makes my ears bleed from the frequency. I look to Crabbe and Goyle and roll my eyes causing them to chuckle.

"Now, Ms. Chang. May I call you Cho?" Umbridge pauses for a moment before barreling onto her next question as Cho opens her mouth to respond. "Great, here. Have some tea." Umbridge stands there with her hands crossed in from of her waist clasped together while she smiles at Cho. Cho picks up the tea and takes a tiny sip.

Umbridge stares at her while she sips and then clears her throat when Cho starts to lower the cup. Cho freezes and stares at Umbridge who gestures with her right hand to take another sip. Taking a larger sip, Cho looks at Umbridge for confirmation she had enough tea before placing it on the table once she sees Umbridge is genuinely smiling now.

_Fuck…_

"Now, onto business. What is your name?" Cho looks at her slightly confused.

"Cho Lillian Chang," she says without hesitation.

"What year are you?"

"Fifth year?" She asks and I can tell her confusion is escalating.

"Do you know why you're here?" Umbridge continues with her questions.

"I'm here because you asked me to join you for tea while I was walking down the hall," Chang said quickly and I can tell she's starting to figure out something wasn't quite right with that tea. Umbridge asks a few more questions about her classes and her family while pacing back and forth slowly before she asks a question that makes me freeze.

"Do you participate in any clubs here at school?"

"No," she says quickly.

From the corner of my eye, I see Crabbe turn to Goyle annoyed that the questioning is taking so long. Goyle stares intently at Cho with a smirk. His reaction makes me a little uneasy as I anxiously watch the questioning.

"No? You don't? Quidditch doesn't count as a club?" Umbridge asks in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"Quidditch is a team. It's not technically a club since we don't have a Professor as a supervisor, but rather team captains." Umbridge nods her head and looks Cho dead in the eyes.

"I see. My apologizes. I understand now that I'm not being as direct as I should be so let me try to be quite plain," she says before pausing from her pacing. "Do you know of any students starting an army and practicing magic?"

"Yes," Cho says and she covers her mouth with her hands. Umbridge smiles knowing she will be able to get information from her.

"How many students are in this army?"

"28."

"Where do these students practice and when?"

"The Room of Requirement and when we are summoned."

"Are they practicing right now?"

"Yes," Cho says as tears run down her face now. She was betraying the people that were helping her learn how to defend herself and she couldn't stop it because of the Veritaserum.

"Mr. Malfoy! Grab Ms. Chang. She will guide us to the Room of Requirement." With a smirk and her head held high, Umbridge left her office to gather the Inquisitorial Squad and Filch. Grabbing onto Cho's arm, I drag her into the hallway with Goyle and Crabbe following Umbridge closely in front of us. Marching down the hallway, Cho tells us how to get to the Room of Requirement as Umbridge marches proudly in the front of the group. Her heels let out a loud clacking sound against the stones on the floor. Looking to make sure everyone in the group is too busy, I lean forward and whisper to Cho.

"Is Briar still there?" She looks at me and hesitates for a moment before answering as if she is trying to fight the serum.

"She was when I left. Merlin, I hope everyone is gone," she says sniffling. She sees the look on my face and whispers to me in shock. "I never thought I'd see the day…" I look down at her in confusion.

"What are you blabbering about?"

"I never thought I'd see the day Draco Malfoy actually showed anything other than anger and maliciousness, let alone showing he cares about someone other than himself." I scoff and push her forward a little causing her to glare at me. I chuckle quietly and keep walking forward while I answer her.

"Yeah, well. She snuck up on me," I say and it clicks in her mind what I'm saying. She stares at me in shock and smiles softly before turning her head to look at Umbridge. She's only a few steps away from the wall that let me in to see Briar in her Animagus form at the beginning of the school year. Months ago, this wall held so much happiness and relief for me. Right now, I just hope it doesn't hold the person that gives me that happiness and relief.

"Ms. Chang. Is this where it is?" Cho nods her head and looks down at the ground. "Right," she says and points her wand at the wall to use wordless magic. A huge crack takes a chunk out of the wall as a gust of wind blows at us. Peaking to the side, I try to look into the room to see if there's anyone in there. I see Potter and a smaller kid that must be in third or fourth year.

"I'll make short work of this. Bombarda maxima," she says and I see the entire wall blast into the room as Potter dives to get to kid away from the explosion. After the dust settles, I pull Cho towards the hole in the wall as everyone else moves forward to assess who's in there.

"You _bloody _well could've hurt him! You knew he was looking into that hole when you blasted that damn spell at him," Briar screams.

Walking into the hole in the wall now, I glance around and see mirrors, a practice dummy, and about a dozen students still here. I glance to where Briar is fuming in front of all of the students being held back by Potter.

_He sure likes getting handsy with her, _I think angrily. My hands tighten on Cho's arms a little and she looks at me questioningly, but I'm too focused on watching Briar struggle against Potter as Umbridge gets closer to her. Stopping a few steps away from her, I hear Umbridge start to speak as Briar glares daggers at her.

"Well, Ms. Griffin. I would say I'm surprised to find you here, but I'm not at all since you are _disloyal_," she says with a smirk causing Briar to tug forward as Potter struggles to hold her back. I see her eyes flash in anger and I find myself hoping she can keep her anger at bay. She doesn't need another incident like with Parkinson months ago. Although, hearing Umbridge refer to the time she made her brand herself causes me to lose my indifferent smirk for a moment as I glare at the back of Umbridge's head.

"Although, if you hadn't been here in the first place, then I would have to come to the conclusion that there wouldn't have been a chance of someone getting hurt in the first place. Hm?" She stares at Briar with a smirk causing her to struggle against Potter's hold again.

"Why you little bi…" she starts to say before Potter pulls her closer to him so her back is flush against his chest. He whispers something in her ear and she stops talking immediately and stops struggling. After surveying the area, Umbridge settles her gaze on Briar who is staring at her defiantly.

"I want Potter and Griffin. The rest can go about their day until further questioning is required." Crabbe shoves Potter away from Griffin and starts walking him towards the hole in the wall. I'm briefly relieved and grateful that Potter's hands are no longer on Briar, but then Goyle walks over to her and roughly grabs her arm. She fights him before he smirks and whispers something to her. She swings her free hand up and slaps him hard across the face. His face changes to blind fury and he grabs both of her arms in a very tight grip. I can see the whites of his knuckles from how hard he's holding her and I keep my hold on Cho to keep myself from going over and hexing him from how hard he is squeezing her arms. Cho looks at me reassuringly with a whispered "Don't worry, she can take care of herself," before I follow Crabbe, Goyle, and Umbridge out of the room with our respective captives controlled.

* * *

"I've been watching them for weeks and see? Dumbledore's Army. Proof of what I've been telling you right from the beginning, Cornelius. All your fear mongering about You Know Who never fooled us for a minute. We saw your lies for what they were; a smokescreen for your big to seize control of the Ministry," Umbridge says. Percy comes over and grabs Cho from me as well as Potter from Crabbe leaving Goyle to hold on tightly to Briar. I can tell that his grip is going to give her bruises and I have to stand here and pretend like I don't want to throw a Cruciatus curse at him. Crabbe walks over and stands next to me to watch from the door as we were supposed to have left a few moments ago. We stand lurking in the doorway and watch as Dumbledore stares straight into Umbridge's eyes with disinterest.

"Naturally," he says before Potter butts in.

"No, Professor! He had nothing to do with it; it was me," Potter says before looking back at Dumbledore.

"Most noble of you, Harry, but as its been pointed out; the parchment clearly says Dumbledore's Army. Not Potter's. I instructed Harry to ask for Ms. Griffin's help to form this organization and I, and I alone; am responsible for its activity." I can see Briar struggling against Goyle more as she lets out a "No, Dumbledore." Dumbledore gave her a look and I can see her deflate. Her eyes sadden and she seems to give off an air of understanding of what was about to happen.

"Dispatch an owl to the Daily Prophet. If we hurry, we can still make the morning addition. Danish, Shacklebolt; you will escort Dumbledore to Azkaban to await trial for conspiracy and sedition." Shacklebolt, Umbridge, Danish, and the Minister start to advance on Dumbledore when he started to walk backwards while speaking.

"Ah, I thought we might hit this little snag. You seem to be laboring under the delusion that I'm going to, what was the phrase? Come quietly?" He was now standing behind his desk and I could see the Minister getting slightly anxious. Crabbe and I leaned into the room more waiting to see what would happen.

"Well, I can tell you this," Dumbledore continued. "I have no intention of going to Azkaban."

"Enough of this! Take him!" Umbridge says urgently. I look to Dumbledore and see him wink at Harry and smile sadly at Briar before his Phoenix comes swooping into the room out of nowhere. Lifting his arms over his head, he claps them together before bursting into flames. With his exit, a gust of wind throws Umbridge, Kingsley, the Minister, and Danish backwards a few steps.

"Well, you may not like him Minister, but you can't deny. Dumbledore's got style," Kingsley says causing the Minister to stare at him in disbelief. After everyone realizes they were bested by Dumbledore and he wasn't coming back, Umbridge huffs in anger and orders Goyle to release Briar. He shoves her forward roughly and laughs as she trips and starts to tumble to the floor. I tense up waiting for an impact, but see Potter grab onto her before she can.

_Always the hero, Potter. _I think snidely, but with some relief Briar didn't fall to the floor. I can see her favoring her left ankle and know she probably twisted it. Potter keeps an arm around her and I hear him mention the hospital wing, but she shakes her head. She starts to roll the ankle for a few moments before stepping on it slowly as if to test her weight on it already.

"Are you quite done watching the show, Mr. Malfoy?" Umbridge stands in front of me and glares at how I'm blocking the door. I quickly mumble an apology before letting her by and see Crabbe has already left the room. Goyle struts past me with a smirk and brushes past my shoulder to follow Umbridge. I turn around to follow them and risk a glance back only to stare right into those green eyes. I'm so busy staring into her eyes for the last fleeting moments before I have to leave that I don't notice she's standing on her ankle with her full weight. She had healed herself.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: This chapter introduces a cool ability Snape taught Briar. This ability will be represented by being italics AND bold. Watch for the changes. Going forward, here is the key:**

_Character thoughts_

**_Conversations mentally between characters _**

**Dreams/Flashbacks**

**Make sense? Cool! This chapter is dedicated to Kenna (Guest) who gave me my first review! Thank you so much for your review and I'm so glad you're enjoying the story so far, love. Without further ado, here's chapter 19! **

**Draco POV**

I walk around the hallways of Hogwarts and stick to the shadows in case any Professors are wandering around. Thankfully, being a Prefect has its perks, but I'm too distracted to come up with excuses of why I'm out when it's not my night to patrol. Turning the corner, I find myself at the Room of Requirement. Taking one last glance around, I crack open the door and slip in before slowly shutting the door so it doesn't make any noise. With a deep breath, I let out all of the stress from my body and brace my hands on the door with my head hung in defeat.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper. Her hands slide up my back to my shoulders and I feel them gently press into my shoulders in a slow massage. With her next words, her hands slide from my shoulders to my biceps.

"You don't have anything to apologize for. There was no way you could've warned us," she whispers in a soothing voice. I turn around and lean against the door so her hands rest on my chest now. I stare down into her green eyes and she stares back at me with a small smile. My hands rest on her slim waist as my thumbs rub against her hips.

"I could've tried to reach out to you. I know you and Snape have been working on connecting mentally with others. I didn't even try. I didn't…" She grabs my face between her hands urgently.

"Stop," she says in a serious tone. I stare at her in defeat with sadness in my eyes. "Yes, I have been working on that with Snape, but we haven't talked about how you would be able to connect with me. There was nothing you could've done so stop beating yourself up, Draco. You're not some villain that needs to apologize for every move he makes where something wrong happens." I nod my head sadly and move my hands to lightly caress her arms, but I see her wince. I pull my hands away quickly as if she burned me.

"Merlin! I'm so…"

"If you say sorry, I will hex you," she says in a teasing tone. I pull on her sleeve indicating I want to see what Goyle did to her. She sighs before removing her school robes to reveal a bright blue, long sleeved sweater. Placing her hands on the bottom of the sweater, she glances up at me cautiously. "Are you sure you want to see? I thought you were going to murder him in Dumbledore's office and when you see what he did…" I cut her off.

"No secrets, Briar. Please show me," I ask pleadingly. She nods her head slowly and lowers her eyes as her hands lift the sweater over her head slowly before holding it in her hands.

Rage. Pure, uncontrollable rage is what I feel. On her upper arms, there is clear bruising of fingertips wrapping around her bicep. The deep reds and purples swirl together angrily. I can tell she'll have the bruises for a while and that fact makes me even more angry if that's even possible.

"Dray?" She whispers. I look into her eyes and she gasps probably from the pure hatred she sees in my eyes. I see how watery her eyes have gotten and I can tell she is trying to stay strong as if to not anger me more by showing she's in pain. Her arms must be throbbing angrily from the circulation being cut off so harshly.

"What did he say?" I see her brow scrunch up in confusion. "When he first grabbed you in the Room of Requirement, he said something that made you slap him. What did he say?" She swallows in nervousness before opening her mouth to answer my question in a soft voice. She's so quiet, I have to lean a little closer to hear her.

"I do love watching a girl struggle," she says nervously. I nod my head slowly and she watches me apprehensively. I turn towards the wall that held the entrance moments ago and slam my right fist into the door, filling the room with a loud _crack_.

"DRACO!" She grabs my arm and I rip it away angrily causing her hand to slip from my bicep. I slam my hand into the door again, but this time with my palm before taking a few deep breaths. After taking a few moments to calm down, I finally turn to face Briar and apologize for ripping my arm away…Except she isn't where I expect her to be. Standing a few feet away from me in her Animagus form with her ears back and tail down, she's staring up at me. I look at her feeling the guilt crawl up the back of my neck like a chill. I go to take a step towards her and fall to my knees heavily in front of her.

"Love, I'm sorry. Goyle just…Having to watch how he man handled you and knowing now that you'll be bruised because of him. I just want to protect you and I can't even do that," I whisper. She stares at me and grunts at me with her ears still down against the side of her head in apprehension, but takes a hesitant step forward. I let out a sigh and cross my legs to sit on the ground with my head looking down at my right hand. Blood is slowly seeping out of it and I can see it is badly crushed. Flexing it, I groan and let out a pained "Merlin," as I feel my hand strain to move as I observe a piece of bone that is peaking out of my skin. I look up and see Briar has taken more steps towards me and was in the process of lowering her head to my hand as she lowers her body to lay on the grass in front of me. Lowering my eyes from her green eyes, I see the necklace I got her for Christmas dangling around her neck and resting on top of her Animagus' coarse hair.

**_Let me heal you._**

I look up at Briar's eyes in shock and see her staring right at my hand. Her eyes look up to glance into my eyes before I hear her voice in my head again.

_**Let me heal you. Please, my dragon.** _

She stares at me pleadingly and I look at her with my mouth hanging open in shock. I numbly nod my head before I watch her change back to her human form right in front of my eyes. Now in human form, she reaches her hands forward towards my injured hand while kneeling in front of me with a determined look on her face. I hiss in pain when I feel her hands caress mine, but I just stare at her face in wonder.

_She just spoke to me in my mind. _

I see her eyes glance at me in concern from the state of my hand before taking a deep breath. Keeping her eyes trained on mine, she begins speaking.

"I'm going to feel the pain. To heal you, I have to draw the pain out and reverse the effects that happened when you hit the wall so you're going to see me experience the same pain you felt when you tried to fight the wall," she said with a slight shakiness to her voice. I see her smirk to try and make light of the situation, but I just stare at her in horror that I'm the reason she has to feel my pain. She rolls her eyes causing me to stare at her in confusion. She quietly says "mind connection" with a smirk to explain she heard my thoughts before I see her grimace. Looking down. I see a light blue glow around my hand that's barely noticeable, but I can see the effects immediately. Right in front of my eyes, my hand is healing and the pain diminishes. I hear her take a deep breath and my eyes quickly move to look at her face.

Looking up, I see her eyes are shut and she grimaces every few moments until her hands fall away from mine. I see her face relax and her eyes meet mine again. I realize how tired she looks before glancing at my hand to see it's as if nothing happened.

"How?"

"Snape," she says tiredly. Peering up at her face, I see she has a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead. "He has been teaching me how to transfer my healing abilities to others. We can't get around the side effect of me feeling the pain though so he has been helping me…tolerate pain," she whispers. She must see the question in my eyes, but she shakes her head and says "Don't ask." Nodding my head, I think back to how she had healed her ankle in seconds when she twisted it in Dumbledore's office. She runs the back of her hand over her forehead to collect the perspiration that collected there before grabbing her shirt from the floor to shrug it back on tiredly.

"Are you okay?" She nods her head at me and sends a small smile my way.

"Yeah. I'm working on the whole endurance thing, but it still makes me tired depending on the injury. Healing bones is one of the areas where it drains me faster just like internal and life threatening injuries would." I nod my head in understanding and continue with my questioning to understand better.

"So that's how you healed in Dumbledore's office earlier?" She nods her head. "And you can heal anything?" She shakes her head no.

"There are certain things I can't heal," she says while rolling up her sleeve where her branding from Umbridge is still carved into her skin. "I can't heal something that is on the outside of my skin that has already scarred. I can heal internal injuries and major life threating injuries within reason, but scars? I can't get rid of those and healing others is still relatively new so I don't know my limits on that yet. I can assume that I would have been able to heal this scar if I tried moments after it happened when it was still fresh, but I guess I'm stuck with this on me now."

I look at her and see she's battling something inside her head, but I don't have time to answer before the door appears and Potter is standing in a crack in the door. I roll my eyes and stand when Briar goes to move from her kneeling position in front of me.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing here, Potter?" I snarl out. I feel Briar's hand rest on my bicep and give me a disapproving look. I huff and turn back to face Potter only to have him ignore me and speak to Briar.

"Bry, it's time," Potter said with a smile. Before I can ask questions, I hear Briar in my mind.

**_We're speaking with Sirius about next steps. We all agreed to do it in my room since I have private quarters. _**

"I'll be right there, Harry. Just wait for me in the enclave around the corner, okay?" Potter nods his head and leaves with a smile on his face.

"You need to teach me how to respond back. Just you and Potter are going to be in your quarters?" I sneer back.

_Draco Malfoy doesn't get jealous. I'm only protective over her because Potter was all over her earlier. Yeah, that's it. _

I'm interrupted from my thoughts by Briar laughing. Glancing at her face, I see a smirk on her face and it makes me scowl at her.

"I don't understand what's so funny about that question. Maybe I should go ask Parkinson to hang out with me in my room alone and see if you think that's funny," I say maliciously. Her face falls and I see genuine hurt, but also anger in her eyes. She immediately stops laughing and goes to walk past me.

_Fuck. _

I spin around to stop her, but she is already almost at the door.

"Bry, I'm…" She spins around and I see her eyes flash rainbow at me in anger.

"SORRY, RIGHT?! Yeah, you're always sorry, but you always return to being a selfish, foul, malicious PRAT like your father is! Maybe I was wrong about you being different. Maybe you are just like your father and go ahead, _Malfoy_! Go be with Parkinson since she seems to love this side of you. I sure as hell don't," she says before storming out the door and slamming it with a loud _bang. _

I stare at the door in shock as her words hit me. Standing there with my mouth open, I keep opening and closing it to try and find the words to apologize even though she already left.

I might have just ruined the best thing in my life…

**A/N Yeahhhh so Draco's still a prat like in the movies and books because he was raised to be one, but don't worry, we'll see Draco's soft side again in the next chapter. I strongly believe Draco was just a misunderstood kid who wanted to please his parents like most teens. Until the next chapter, see you guys later! You know what to do to get another chapter so click that button below ;) **


	20. Chapter 20

**I'm updating because I reached 2500 views! Thank you so much for reading so far you guys! Your reward is another chapter. You're welcome! Kind of a short chapter, but that's only because the next chapter is a lot longer and I didn't want it to drag on so enjoy this filler chapter and review super quick so I can get the next chapter up! I think you guys will really like the way it all comes together next chapter. AND the chapter after that because yes, they're both done so the more reviews, the faster you get to read both! Tah tah for now, kiddos. **

**Draco POV**

**Two weeks later**

I sit in the exam room and look up to see Umbridge standing in the front of the classroom looking smug. The clock is ticking on the exam in front of me, but due to Potter whisking Briar away so often in the past two weeks; I had plenty of time to study. Speaking of Briar, I look a few rows ahead on my right and see her sitting with her head on her right hand since she has finished the exam as well. I smirk and think about my meeting with Snape a week ago.

**"Ah, Mr. Malfoy. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Snape says sarcastically. I sit in the chair in front of his desk and stare a hole into the mahogany with my arms crossed in front of my chest. After a few moments of silence, I see Snape sit in the chair across from me and entwine his hands on top of his desk. "Draco," he says slightly less like a robot. I glance up at him and take a deep breath knowing he has gone into Godfather mode.**

**"I need to know how to connect with Briar's mind like she can with me. I need to know something that we can do that Potter can't," I say spitting out Potter's name like it disgusts me which, to be fair, it does. "I need to make sure, for _once_, I'm better than Potter." Some insecurity makes its way into my voice and I see Snape's eyes brighten in understanding. Nodding his head, he leans back into his chair like it's a throne and spreads his hands onto the arms of the chair. **

**"I will teach you. I am surprised though that you think Potter is competition to you," Snape drones out in his normal tone. I roll my eyes and drop my head to watch my hands fidget with each other.**

**"Potter has always been competition," I say haughtily.**

**"In Quidditch and everyday classes, but competition against you for Briar?" I look up at him in shock that he actually said it out loud. **

**He leans forward and looks me straight in the eyes before I see flashes of memories. What doesn't surprise me is that I see flashes of a red head smiling because I know there was a woman Snape loved who was taken from him by another man. What does surprise me is the emotion. The strength of the emotion I feel towards that woman in Snape's memory is the same strength I feel towards Briar; it's love. The memory stops just as suddenly as it began in my mind and I stare at Snape in bewilderment. **

**"Who was she?" Snape looks at me and pushes a thought into my mind that shocks me. **

**_Lily Potter. _**

**"You will never speak about this to anyone, but I will teach you. I know how it feels to compete with a Potter and I will be damned if I let my godson lose to one of them especially when I know you have never truly loved anyone as much as you love Ms. Griffin. I can feel it in your memories of her right now." I quickly put up my walls in my mind, but realize he has already retreated. With a huff, I look at him slightly annoyed, yet grateful when he smirks at me. **

**"When do we start?" **

**_Now. _**

Coming back to the present, I focus on Briar and remember the tips Snape showed me that day.

**_You look bored, Griffin. _**

I see her eyes widen in surprise and she scans each row until her eyes meet my mischievous look.

**_How did you…?_**

**_Snape. _**

I think cutting her off. She looks impressed, but her face falls. My smirk falls as I remember our last conversation.

**_Briar, I acted like an ass and I truly am sorry. You know I don't apologize like everyone else is capable of doing. It's new to me, but hearing you say I was like my father…_**

I see her shake her head slightly and turn around to glare towards the front of the room when Umbridge tells her "eyes forward."

**_Draco, the way you act whenever Harry comes around needs to stop. He and I have to work together. You'll have to get used to it. And thank you for apologizing._**

I wait for her to elaborate and maybe apologize for what she said to me, but there's a loud bang outside that sounds like an explosion that breaks my concentration. I see Umbridge perk up and all of the students still taking the exam look up to turn towards the door in the back of the classroom. Umbridge starts to walk briskly towards the door and opens them before stepping into the hallway. I see her look around before a spark of something waves in front of her face. I raise my eyebrow and see the spark whirl into the room before erupting into a firework in the middle of the classroom. I look to Briar and see her smirking at Potter. She glances to me with her smirk still in place and I glare at Potter before glancing back at her.

**_Looks like another secret between you and Potter, huh, Griffin? _**

She rolls her eyes and smiles at the door when she sees Umbridge running towards the front of the classroom where the Weasel twins have flown in on their brooms. They both release more fireworks and one flies towards me making me back into a wall before ducking. I turn to see my horrified face on the wall before it disappears in seconds. I angrily look at Briar who is laughing at me and my face softens slightly seeing her so carefree before I see a flurry of pink whiz past me.

**_She runs fast for a woman in heels, doesn't she? _**

I can hear the amusement in Briar's thought as Umbridge runs from a firework that has turned into a dragon that soon tries to swallow Umbridge making me chuckle.

_**Was the dragon your idea?** _

She beams at me and nods her head. I hear glass shattering and am immediately on the defensive as I start to make my way over to Briar as the students file out of the classroom while cheering. I grab Briar's hand and keep her close to me as we make our way outside behind the stream of students, stepping around the shattered glass of the frames that used to adorn the wall. Once all of the students have filed past us in the stone archway outside, I push her against the wall, keeping us in the shadows, and notice she has a smirk on her face. I look down at her and bring a hand up to brush her hair out of her face.

"You know, I'm still waiting on that apology," I say almost silently as I avoid looking her in the eyes. I feel her hand grasp my chin to force me to look at her.

"Draco, I can't apologize for having to work with Harry. He's not as bad as you seem to think he is and I don't even know why he's so bad to you, but I will apologize for everything else I said. You're not your father even if you are an arrogant prat sometimes," she says teasingly. I playfully glare at her and she chuckles while stroking my cheek and down my neck where her hand hits my chain. Her hand pulls the doe out from under my white dress shirt and caresses it as it lays on my chest over the silky shirt. I see her smile turn to a frown as she gulps and opens her mouth before closing it again. Closing her eyes for a few moments, I wait for her to speak again patiently. She glances into my eyes and hesitates.

"Ask me. Whatever is conflicting that pretty mind of yours, ask me, love," I say encouragingly.

"Did you…You know? After I said…?" I stare at her in confusion before my eyes widen in realization at what she is asking me. I take a step back in disgust at the words that came out of her mouth and see her eyes fall to the ground again in hurt from my body language thinking I had answered her question. I grab her face and force her to look at me as I press my body into hers again so there is no room between my body and hers, effectively trapping her against the stone wall.

"I want you to listen to the words that come out of my mouth very carefully. I will _never _be with Parkinson or another girl if I have anything to say about it. I only have my focus set on you. Why do you think I got so upset after seeing Potter man handle you in the Room of Requirement? Why do you think I got so angry when he interrupted our conversation two weeks ago when we were finally speaking about what had been bothering you?" I push my forehead against hers and close my eyes as I take in a deep breath before letting it fan against her face. "I refuse to lose you to Potter or anyone else. I swear to Merlin, if he tries _anything _with you, you need to tell me immediately so I can hex him until he's begging me to…"

"Draco, stop," she says causing me to open my eyes. Her eyes soften when she sees the mistiness in my eyes before I clear my throat to get them to go away. "If Harry ever tries anything, I assure you I can make him hurt just as much as you can. I don't want you to talk about hurting someone like you would enjoy it. Please don't ever take pleasure in the thought of someone begging you to stop hurting them because then you really will become Lucius and I don't know how I could…" I cut her off and kiss her softly before smiling softly in understanding. She nods her head and looks towards where the students are standing and celebrating. I see her eyes round in concern and follow her line of sight to see Potter sitting on the ground with Hermione in front of him. I hear Briar gasp and I see her staring straight ahead with a rainbow ring around her eyes before she winces and her eyes return to their normal emerald.

"What did you see?" She turns to me in confusion.

"Sirius. He's in trouble, but I saw your father again. Draco, I have a really bad feeling about this," she said in fear. She turns her head and starts to walk towards Potter who is on the floor now with Hermione in front of him. Briar rushes past me and I watch from the shadows as she kneels down in front of Potter and places a hand on Granger's arm and says something with a grim expression. Harry nods his head at whatever Granger says and takes one of her hands and takes one of Briar's. They both help him up and they start walking towards the shadows I'm hiding in. Granger stands next to Briar and Potter stands on the other side as they approach me. My eyes widen as I realize they're walking towards me.

**_Follow us to my room, but don't get caught. _**I nod my head in agreement to Briar's thought and lean against the wall uninterested as they pass me a few moments later. Surveying the area, I see no one watching me so I stay close to the shadows and slowly wind my way around corners and the hallways of Hogwarts carefully.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N I was feeling generous so here is another chapter! Keep those reviews coming, my loves! **

**Warning: This chapter is M at the end! If you don't like reading smut then don't read the end. **

**Draco POV**

I see Briar standing in front of the Slytherin Common Room entrance as her lips quickly say the password. Granger and Potter look in awe at the concealed stone wall that quickly turns into an entrance way. After waiting a few moments, I go to the wall and say "Pureblood" with confidence before strolling into the common room. Seeing no one in there, I take a moment to admire a room that has held many memories over the years. Looking to the enchanted window that shows the bottom of the Black Lake, I see a giant squid swimming by in the dark, watery depths. With emerald greens tones and silver being present around the entire room, I can understand why green quickly became my favorite color after attending Hogwarts.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I realize I have never been to Briar's dorm and probably won't be able to get to it since the girl's dormitory staircase has a spell on it to send boys down a slide.

_But then, how did Potter get to her dormitory? _

**_Go towards the boy's dormitory. My dormitory is hidden behind the painting of the forest with a doe. Yes, that was Snape's doing. The password is aquamarine. _**

I let out a chuckle while shaking my head when I hear the playfulness in her voice. Following her instructions, I make my way up the winding, stone stairs that would lead to the boy's dormitories. Keeping an eye out for the painting she mentioned, I make my way up the stairs and around the corner that would bring me to my dorm when my eyes see the painting a few steps away. I study the painting for a moment and take in the details of a doe hiding behind a tree surveying a meadow in front of it. The doe moves its head around the tree before crouching so it is hidden by a bush of brightly colored flowers. _Curious, _I think with a raised eyebrow.

Looking around to make sure no one is around me, I whisper "aquamarine" and see the painting open a crack towards me. Opening it a little more, I slide inside the painting and stand there in awe at what I see. Her dormitory is easily bigger than mine is by half a room size. I see emerald green and silver is the color scheme like the common room, but she has some black mixed in as well. In the far corner by the window that looks into the Black Lake, there is a King-sized bed with an emerald green duvet with black trimmings with plush, silver pillows adorning it. Glancing at the window, I see her room is significantly closer to the surface than the common room is so you can see rays of sunlight shining in the water. A vanity sits across from her bed against an emerald green wall which is similar to the other walls. The only portion of the room that isn't covered in emerald green paint is the ceiling which is light silver. A black velvet, two-person sofa sits facing a clear, crystal, spherical table. Moving my eyes to the floor, I see it is a black, Papua ebony floor that picks up reflection from the water outside her window, making it seem like the floor was rippling like the water.

"What is Malfoy doing here?" Potter whines out. I roll my eyes and stroll into the room towards the two-person sofa where Briar is sitting. I look to the velvet black chaise lounge to see Granger sitting with her legs crossed at the ankles with her hands on her lap while Potter sits with his back to me as he looks at Briar from the velvety black, medium sized Acosta Swivel Barrel chair. I smirk and sit next to Briar who leans into my shoulder immediately. I wrap my arm around her shoulder to bring her closer and kiss her forehead before turning to smirk at Potter who looks like a pouting five-year-old.

"What's the matter, Potter? Afraid I might come up with a better idea than you?" I can almost feel Briar rolling her eyes at me for my comment. I keep smirking at Potter as Briar shoves my side in annoyance with her elbow.

**_Stop being a prat before I kick you out, Malfoy. _**

My smirk drops and I look down to see Briar looking at me with a serious scowl on her face. I give her a small smile to show I'll try to behave and give her another kiss on the forehead.

"I didn't think you were serious, Bry, but you were," Granger says. I look to her in confusion before Potter speaks up.

"Yes, he's just a teddy bear under disguise. Can we figure out what we're going to do about Sirius? I need to go help him!" Potter says with exasperation. I open my mouth to spit something back at him, but quickly close my mouth and lean back to rest against the back of the couch with my right knee crossed over my left. Now in my casual position, Briar leans into me and I find myself smiling at her as I feel her warmth seep into my side. Looking at her, I see the sunlight reflecting off the water from the window onto her face making her eyes shine more brightly than normal. My left hand soothingly rubs her arm as she leans into my left side and I can feel the goosebumps raising on her arm as her eyes are glaring at Potter.

_Wait, glaring at Potter? What did I miss? _

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! He's all I have left, Briar. I'm not going to lose him!" I can feel Briar's shoulders huff in frustration as she tries to keep her temper in check.

"Harry, I have a bad feeling about the vision. Something…wasn't right. I can't figure out what it was, but…"

"Exactly! You can't figure it out because you couldn't feel his pain like I could! He was being _tortured _Briar. He was _dying _and you want to waste time debating this?! I need to get to him NOW!" I snap my head to Potter after he finishes yelling at Briar and see him pacing back and forth with his hands clenched in fists at his side.

"Watch your tone, Potter," I growl out. I feel Briar's hand rest on my left thigh after I uncross my legs, ready to jump up if need be.

"We should get in contact with him then before we do anything," I hear Granger's voice float through the room. Potter rolls his eyes as I continue to stare him down as his eyes flit between me and Briar in frustration before settling on Granger in defeat.

"And how exactly are we supposed to do that Hermione? Everything is being monitored from the owls, to the floo network, and I don't trust the mirror he gave me to not be monitored too. Umbridge has everything on lock down so she can watch every little move we make."

"Not in Umbridge's office," Granger says. We all turn to look at her in shock at what she's suggesting. "Umbridge has a floo network in her office. If we can just get into her office and use it then we can contact Sirius and see if Briar is right about something being off or not. It doesn't hurt to be safe."

"And how exactly do you suggest we get into her office, Hermione? Have you forgotten she hates me, you, and Briar? The only person here she likes is Malfoy because he became one of her cronies," Potter says snidely. I clench my hand in anger, but try to stay calm for Briar's sake.

"I can sneak you in," I say before I realize what I'm saying. Now it's their turn to stare at me in shock.

"Dray?" Briar whispers softly to me in concern. I look down and smile at her reassuringly as my left hand finally stops rubs her arm. I sit forward and rest my elbows on my knees with my hands clasped together and start to nod my head as a plan forms. In my peripheral vision, I see Potter sit back down and wait anxiously to see what I will say.

"In two hours Umbridge will be out of her office to patrol the halls with Filch. The bloke is in love with the little toad and has been requesting weekly appointments to make sure everything is to her liking so I can sneak you in while she's with him. Their meetings are only normally half an hour though so we need to have a concrete plan before then," I say with an air of nervousness at the end. I glance up and see Potter nodding his head and Granger looking at me in shock still, but her eyes flit to Briar who is silent. I look back at her and see she is staring at me in awe with a smile on her face. She nods her head when her eyes meet mine and she turns to Granger.

"Mione, you need to contact Neville, Ginny, Luna, and Ron. We can use all the eyes we can get to stand guard and make sure Umbridge doesn't slip through her office doors without us knowing. Harry, you need to understand I think this is a trap. I don't think Sirius is in trouble, but you're right. We need to make sure he is okay so the second we get into that office, you need to make contact as fast as possible. We only get one shot at this," she says and I can feel my heart swelling with pride seeing her take charge like this. She turns her head to me. "If anyone suspects you're on our side, that evil little toad will not hesitate to hurt you and then I'll have to end her. No one wants to see that side of me so if we're caught, I need you to go along with it. I can't have you getting hurt if our cover is blown. Do you understand me?"

I smirk at her bossy tone and raise an eyebrow at her suggestively as I find this side of her incredibly arousing.

"I understand, Ms. Griffin," I purr at her and I see her cheeks heat up as her mouth opens to say something before closing it in a huff. She smirks at me and turns to Potter and Granger to make sure they understand what needs to happen within the next hour. After staring at Briar's face and watching her cheeks return to their normal tone, I hear her front door close. I pull my attention away from her and see the painting is now closed and Briar and I are alone. She stands and walks towards her bed so I stand with my eyebrow raised suggestively at her retreating form. I follow her to the side of her bed and faintly hear her closing a drawer on her bedside table before she turns. She gasps as she sees I'm right in front of her, but she doesn't have a chance to say anything before my lips have descended on hers stifling anything she was about to say.

I clutch at her hips desperately and hear something thud to the floor as her arms wrap around my neck. She jumps into the air and I catch her under her thighs with a grunt before walking forward and softly placing her on her silky duvet. I crawl over her and settle between her parted knees as her hands clutch at my hair at the nape of my neck. Soon, I find myself getting light headed from lack of air so I release her lips with a puff of air and move my lips from her jaw, down to the soft, delicate flesh on her neck. She lets out an appreciative moan when I worry the skin there between my teeth in a teasing nip before continuing my journey down. With each small peck down the expanse of her neck, I feel my body grow warmer with each needy push of Briar's hips into mine. I lightly trace my tongue against the plane of her collarbone and breath in the intoxicating scent that is so uniquely _Briar_. Vanilla and something that smells intoxicatingly like sunshine and the outdoors.

"Dray," she gasps as my lips trace the delicate chain of her dragon necklace. I feel her grab and tug at the back of my shirt so I sit up on my knees and tug my dress shirt off impatiently, not even bothering to unbutton it. I stare down at her with darkened eyes and she quickly rips her black sweater off in a hurry and I can hear her shoes fall to the floor as I hum hungrily at her royal blue lacey bra. I lean down to trail kisses from her collarbone to the hem of her black jeans and quickly unbutton them before dragging them off of her. My hands caress her soft legs from her ankle, all the up to her thighs before my fingers brush the edge of a thong that matches her bra. My concentration is broken when I feel a hand on my chest. I glance up and see her sitting forward while staring intently at my necklace. I look at her in concern when I see the mistiness of her eyes.

I lean forward and kiss her forehead, her nose, and then her lips. She leans back, tugging me with her and soon I find myself under her covers with just her panties between us. I pull back from her heated kiss and stare into her eyes that are still misty. I caress her cheek soothingly and her eyes close as she leans her cheek into the palm of my hand.

"What's wrong, my doe? We don't have to do anything if you don't want to. I'm perfectly happy just snogging you until we have to meet up in forty minutes" I whisper. I hear her sniffle and I start to get concerned. "Briar, what happened?" She looks up into my eyes and shakes her head slightly.

"Nothing, I've just never…I don't want to disappoint you," she says in a low whisper. I let out a chuckle and lean forward to give her a soft kiss on the lips before pulling back to rest my forehead on hers.

"I've never either, baby girl," I say with a small smile on my face.

She looks at me in shock and sputters out a confused "But Parkinson…" I chuckle again and start to explain.

"Parkinson was _very _drunk and we never went past snogging. Everyone assumed we slept together so we just let the rumor run rampant since it helped my image that father wanted me to uphold. I've never been with Parkinson even though I'm pretty sure she thinks I was. I've never been with anyone," I confess.

"But those other girls?"

"Those other girls are lying through their teeth. For the longest time, I thought they were doing it to get on Parkinson's nerves since no one likes her, but it turns out they just wanted the attention that came with them allegedly sleeping with 'The Slytherin Prince.' I've never been with anyone. We're both on the same level of inexperience here."

* * *

**Briar's POV**

Hearing Draco confess that he has never been with another girl makes the tears well up in my eyes more. I grasp his neck and pull him down on top of me and move his hand to the string of my thong. He pulls back to look into my eyes curiously and I nod my head in confirmation. Once he has removed them, he lays down closer so I can feel every inch of him warming my skin. His hand reaches between us and I find myself gasping his name in pleasure. Sealing my lips with his, he rubs my clit and soon slips a finger inside causing me to groan against his soft lips. He speeds up and adds two more fingers. I pull away from his lips and he rests his forehead against mine as I pant out his name. I close my eyes and focus on the deep warmth that is starting to spread throughout my body.

"Come on, love. I've got you," Draco whispers in a husky tone. I open my eyes in shock and feel myself shattering around his fingers. When I come down from my high, I let out a shocked gasp of pain as I realize he used my orgasm as a way to push inside me with the least amount of pain possible. When he's fully inside me, we both groan. He stares into my eyes and wipes the tear that escaped from my cheek before waiting for me to give him the go ahead and soon, I find myself frantically nodding my head as I feel the pain change to a deep, pleasurable burn.

"Dray, move. Please," I whimper and with a groan, he pulls out before slowly pushing back in. With a frustrated huff, I grab his back and wrap my legs around his waist with my feet settling on his thighs to encourage him to move faster. He lets out a chuckle.

"Inpatient, my little minx?" He teases. I lock eyes with him and when he thrusts forward, he hits a place inside me that has me whimpering in pleasure. I see his eyes darken at my needy whimper and soon I find myself unable to stay quiet as he thrusts in and out at a fast pace. I can hear the headboard lightly tapping the wall behind us and it makes the experience even more intense. With every tap, I can feel myself getting closer and closer to my climax. Soon, we're both panting and I can feel the warmth starting to spread throughout my body again. I can feel Draco starting to thrust faster, but in shorter thrusts.

"Draco, I'm going to…" His eyes connect with mine as he groans.

"Fuck, me too. Come with me, baby girl," he says in a needy growl. I gasp at his words and I feel his hand slip between us to rub my clit. I groan out his name and feel him coax out my orgasm as he breathes my name in a deep groan into my neck. His thrusts slow down as I feel him empty inside me as my walls pulse around his softening member. After one last thrust, he pulls out and collapses on top of me. I wrap my arms around him and both of us take a moment to catch our breath as his lips place lazy kisses against my neck.

After playing with his hair at the nape of his neck for a few moments, he pulls back to grab his wand. Waving it, he cleans us up and casts a contraceptive spell. Placing his wand back on the night table, he leans back on top of me and rests his head on his right palm to look down at me while his left hand pushes my hair back from my face. I smile and lean into the palm of his hand as he gazes down at me with a sleepy grin.

"I could get used to seeing you like this," he says in a suggestive tone as he glances down my body to appreciate me with nothing on except for his necklace. My eyes flit down and see him in a similar state with his necklace dangling close to mine. I let out a chuckle and smirk up at him while tracing a finger from his cheek to the center of his chest before groaning in appreciation at his toned body.

"You're not so bad yourself, Mr. Malfoy," I say in a low purr. He groans and leans down to place a kiss right over my heart, but he lingers with his lips close to my nipple as he raises his eyebrows at me teasingly.

"You know, we have enough time to get one more round in before we have to leave in…ten minutes," he says with a frustrated huff realizing we wouldn't have enough time. I giggle and shove him to the side so I can sit up at the edge of the bed, facing my nightstand. I toss a smirk over my shoulder when I hear him groan.

"What? See something you like, my dragon?" His hand reaches out to draw a line down my spine with one finger before resting right above the small of my back, creating goosebumps in his wake.

"No," he says before smirking. I give him a look of confusion before he finishes his thought with a soft smile. "I see something, or rather _someone_, I love." I give him a small smile and lean forward to give him a lingering kiss on the lips. I pull a few inches away from his face and caress the side of his face.

"I love you too," I say with a serious edge to the tone of my voice. I stand up and bend over to pick up what I dropped when Draco surprise attacked me a half an hour ago.

"Okay, now you're just not playing fair. You can't bend over while you're not wearing any clothes and expect me to not jump you again, love." I chuckle and use my wand to summon Draco's button down shirt. Pulling it on, I turn to face him with my hands holding my surprise behind my back. I walk towards the bed and kneel in front of him by his torso with a smirk.

"Better?" My question is met with a huff and a negative shake of his head.

"No, worse. You look even sexier with my clothes on." Chuckling again, I realize I haven't felt this happy and care free in a very long time. He notices I haven't removed my hands from behind my back and he raises an eyebrow. "What are you hiding there, beautiful?"

"The thing I wanted to give you before you seduced me," I say with a sassy edge in my voice. He hums and leans forward to place a kiss on my knee where his button up fails to cover.

"You have that very wrong. You walked to the bed first, but I didn't exactly see you complaining unless it was to beg me to speed up if I recall correctly?" He leans forward to kiss my lips, but I pull away knowing I will most likely not allow him to leave this bed anytime soon if he kisses me right now.

"Nope, focus. We only have a few moments before we have to get going and I want to give you this." I pull the package from behind my back and I see his eyes light up at the fact he got a gift. "You're such a child!" I giggle out as he snatches it from my hands, sitting up with the sheets of my bed pooling around his hips.

Ripping the paper open, he reveals a small frame with a picture of us cuddled together on his couch at home in front of the fireplace. The moving photo starts with our foreheads touching before Draco is seen whispering something to me causing me to laugh and throw my head back as Draco stares at me with a huge smile on his face. It's one of my favorite memories from Christmas break and it ends with me leaning forward to kiss his nose before cuddling into his arms that wrap around me while he places a kiss on my forehead.

"How?" He looks at me in awe and I smile softly as I crawl closer to straddle him over the covers.

"Your Mom. I owled her the other day about sending it in a frame so you could have it to always remember how much I love you for who you are. Not who your father wants you to be, but the Draco I've come to know. The one who is obsessed with anything made of chocolate," I say teasingly as he chuckles and wraps his arms around my waist. "The one that won't admit he isn't a huge fan of the dark which is why you would hold me closer at night when we snuck into each other's bed at night over break. The one who is brave, loyal, and protective no matter how often I have to remind you I'm yours and not another guy's." He hugs me tighter and kisses my lips.

"Bloody right you're mine," he says in a childish pout. I laugh and push his shoulder in a playful way. We both look at the photo and smile before I realize we need to get going soon. With a sigh, I look at him and kiss his cheek since he's still smiling at the photo.

"Dray, I want you to promise me something," I whisper as I lay my body on top of his and lift my hand to brush some hair away from his eye. He looks at me slightly concerned, but nods his head.

"Anything, love," he exclaims seriously.

"I want you to promise me to never be anyone but yourself." At his confused look, I press on before he can ask questions. "I want you to promise me that no matter who your father wants you to be, you'll do what _you _want to do. Be who _you _want to be. No matter what, I want you to promise me that you'll continue to choose yourself and not your father's version of you. Can you promise me that? No matter what?" He stares at me for a few moments before leaning forward to place a lingering kiss on my lips before laying his head back down on his pillow.

"I promise to choose me. You have my word, Briar." His eyes stare deep into my eyes like he's looking for answers that I know I can't give him so I slide off of him and stand to start getting dressed without meeting his eyes.

"We better get going. You can leave the photo here for safe keeping if you want until later," I say as I place my clothes back on my body while throwing his button down at him. With a huff, he places the framed photo on my night stand before pulling his clothes on behind me. After we are both redressed, we walk to the door together before he gives me one last lingering kiss and another look of concern. Opening the door, he walks through the painting and I glance back at the photo of us on my night table. Glancing around the room, I feel melancholy as I silently say goodbye to my bedroom and say goodbye to Hogwarts. I say goodbye to Draco.


	22. Chapter 22

**I didn't get one, but TWO reviews everyone so you get TWO chapters! Enjoy!**

**Draco POV**

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" I turn my head to see Goyle looking at me suspiciously as I lean against the wall a few steps away from Umbridge's office. Briar, Potter, Weasley, and Granger have been inside for about five minutes now and should be coming out any moment.

_I need to get him to leave. _

"I was just lost in thought. Umbridge said she wanted to meet with me when she was done with her weekly meeting with Filch so I was just waiting here for her," I say nonchalantly and see his eyebrow quirk in interest. He leans against the wall next to me in a casual stance and crosses his arms in front of his chest.

"Well, while you're standing here, I think we should talk," he says in a low drawl. I look to him with my eyebrow raised in question and wait for him to continue. "You know all of the Slytherins so I was wondering if you could tell me more about this witch I'm interested in. She has a very mysterious air to her like she's hiding something. You know how that type attracts me," he says with a smirk. I chuckle and nod my head in agreement.

"Yes, we do have that in common. Who is the lucky witch?" He looks me dead in the eye with an expressionless look.

"Her name is Briar Griffin." I feel my blood turn cold and I can't help the flashes of memories from our special moment in her bedroom less than an hour ago. I feel a scowl on my face as Goyle's smirk widens like he knows that would be my reaction. Before I can respond, I see Blaise and Crabbe dragging Lovegood and Weaslette towards us.

"Look who we found looking all suspicious around the corner," Blaise says with a smirk. I am relieved I don't see Longbottom and I hope he got word to Briar to get out of Umbridge's office. I feel Goyle nudge me and I see Longbottom around the corner about to cast a spell at Blaise to release Weaslette. I march over and grab his arm to drag him over to the others, realizing he probably didn't get to Briar.

"Umbridge just walked into her office. Let's bring her these three and see what she wants to do with them," Goyle sneers towards Blaise. They all drag their captives into the office and I come in last with Longbottom.

"Caught this one trying to help the Weasley girl," I say with a sneer. My heart jumps into my throat when I realize Goyle is, once again, holding onto Briar, but this time with a wand to her throat. Potter is seated on a chair in front of Umbridge and Granger is detained by Crabbe to the left of Goyle. Standing on the other side of Goyle, I hold Longbottom in front of me as I watch Umbridge lean forward with her cheery act.

"You were going to Dumbledore, weren't you?"

"No," Potter responds before Umbridge retaliates and slaps him across that face with a resounding _slap_. I stare at her in shock and see Briar struggle against Goyle. He smirks and pushes his wand into her neck harder causing her to wince.

"You sent for me, Head Mistress?" Snape says in his drawl. I look up to see him fleetingly glance at Briar before his poker face was back in place.

"Snape! Yes, the time has come for answers whether he wants to give them to me or not. Have you brought the Veritaserum?"

"I'm afraid you used up all of my stores interrogating students. The last of it on Ms. Chang." Potter looks at Briar, Weasley, and Granger before looking back at Snape as he continues speaking. "Unless you wish to poison him which I would assure you, I would have the greatest sympathy if you did. I can't help you," he says. I notice he moves his hand slightly while looking at Briar before turning to leave.

"He's got Padfoot," Potter shouts at Snape's retreating form. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden." Snape turns to glance at Potter.

"Padfoot? What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What is he talking about, Snape?"

"No idea," he says before leaving. Umbridge turns to pace for a moment as Snape excuses himself from the office.

"Very well. You give me no choice, Potter. As this is an issue of Ministry security, you leave me with no alternative. The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue." I tighten my grip on Longbottom as he gets nervous like the rest of Potter's group.

"That's illegal," Granger spits out as she pulls against Crabbe.

"What Cornelius doesn't know, won't hurt him," Umbridge says as she lays the framed photo of the Minister on her desk so he can't see what's happening. Umbridge walks towards Potter and raises her wand. As she is about to open her mouth, Goyle cries out in pain and I see Briar leap across Umbridge's desk and shove her against the wall with her wand at Dolores' throat. I stare in shock and pride as she speaks in a low, menacing tone.

"Don't you dare, bitch. You have to go through me first before you harm one of my friends." I can tell Goyle is beyond angry as he raises his wand towards Briar's back, intent on sending a hex at her. I shove Longbottom at him and he catches him in his arms to restrain him in confusion.

"Apparently, you can't control a small witch so maybe you can handle Longbottom, Goyle," I sneer as I make my way across the room to pull Briar off of Umbridge who brushes her clothes off in an indignant manner. Once I have Briar back against the wall with the rest of the students, I keep my hands on her wrists, barely holding her.

**_Please behave, love. I'm sure Granger and Potter have a backup plan. They always do. _**

I feel her lean back into my chest and all I want is to get her out of this office and back to her bedroom where I can keep her out of harm's way. I see Umbridge walk back to Potter as she glares at Briar.

"One of these days, Griffin, I won't be so nice and I will show you a lesson worse than your little engraving on your arm," Umbridge sneers.

"Awww that's cute that you think you have a nice side, Dolores," Briar sneers back at her. I squeeze her wrist in warning to not make the situation worse and I feel her huff in annoyance that she can't fight Umbridge as Umbridge's face reddens in anger. Potter shifts in his chair, causing Umbridge to turn her attention back to the matter at hand. She raises her wand at him once again.

"Now, Potter, are you ready to tell me the truth or are you going to make me do this?" Potter stares her down and doesn't say anything. "Very well then. Cr…"

"Tell her Harry!" Granger yells out. Umbridge turns her attention to Granger in surprise while her wand is still raised at Potter.

"Tell me what?" I look to Granger in confusion as Briar stiffens before relaxing slightly.

**_Remind me to hug Mione later. She just came up with a brilliant plan to get Umbridge out of the way. _**Briar pushes into my mind. I rub my thumb against her wrist to show I understand and tune in to listen to see what Granger will say next.

"Well, if you won't tell her where it is, I will." Umbridge looks from Granger to Potter and then back to Granger in frustration that she has to pull answers from her.

"Where _what _is?" I see Granger take a deep breath before answering her question.

"Dumbledore's secret weapon," she admits. Umbridge quickly stands up tall and looks at Granger in shock. She grabs Potter in her free hand and pulls him roughly from his chair to stand while pointing her wand at Granger.

"Mr. Crabbe, release her. Ms. Granger, you and Mr. Potter will show me where his weapon is this instant. No funny business," she threatens. Crabbe releases Granger and Umbridge walks both of them out of the office while directing us to release everyone else for now. Blaise, Crabbe, and the other Inquisitorial Squad students leave except Goyle who glares at Briar. I lightly shove her enough to make it seem like holding her disgusted me and she rubs her wrists to add an implication that I was holding her tightly. After a few moments, it's just me and Goyle in the room so I make my way to exit the office. Once I get to the hallway, I feel a hand shove me into the wall as Goyle gets in my face with his body pushing me harder into the wall.

"What the _bloody _hell do you think you're doing, Goyle?" I sneer in his face while shoving him off of me. He stands there with a sadistic smirk as he holds his wand loosely in his right hand. I clutch mine in my right hand more firmly, ready to duel if need be.

"I find it funny how Griffin behaved when you were holding her, but she put up a fight against me even when I had my wand against her throat," he states in a nonchalant tone. I smirk and put on my best poker face knowing I can't let Goyle get the better of me. Malfoys don't lose, as father always says.

"Maybe she's just remembering how good of a shag I was and was hoping I would take advantage again if she behaved." Goyle looks at me unconvinced, but drops it with a nod. Pocketing his wand, I keep mine in my hand just in case. "Don't be sad, Goyle. Just because she fancies me more, doesn't mean you won't be able to find someone to shag. Hogwarts is crawling with desperate witches. I would know since I've been with so many, or haven't you heard the rumors?" He returns my playful smirk and I know I've successfully gotten him to believe me even though the words falling out of my mouth makes my skin crawl.

"Well, if one of those sluts come to you and you think they're my type, send them my way," he finishes with a cocky smirk. I chuckle and nod my head.

"You've got it, mate." With that, he turns and walks down the hallway towards the Slytherin Common Room. Once I'm sure he's gone, I turn and make my way to the Forbidden Forest. Making sure no students are following me, I sprint across where Hagrid's hut is and make a run for the meeting spot in a field a few minutes from the edge of the forest. Trees whizz past me and I can faintly hear sounds of howling, hooves, and a woman's screams? Shaking the confusion from my mind, I continue running focusing on getting to Briar before slowing my pace as I get to the edge of the field. Taking in my surroundings, I see Briar, Lovegood, Longbottom, and Weasley standing around, but what confuses me is that Lovegood and Longbottom seem to be petting something.

I walk forward in a brisk pace wanting to get to Briar and step on a twig causing all of them to snap their heads towards me. Longbottom even goes as far to raise his wand at me, but my eyes are focused on the emerald eyes of the woman in front of me who has started to jog towards me. I don't even realize I've started running at full speed to her until she's wrapped tightly in my arms and my nose is pressed into her neck, breathing in her calming scent. Her hands squeeze me closer around my neck as I feel her puffs of breath against the skin of my neck. It's hard to ignore that not too long ago, her breath on my neck was during the most intimate moment of my life.

"I hate to break up the moment, but we need to get going, Bry," Potter says glumly. Briar and I break apart and I see her nod at Potter in understanding before Granger comes over and places her hand on Briar's shoulder in a comforting manner. They share a small smile before Granger walks over to the others. Briar looks at me sadly and kisses me while tugging me closer with her hand in my hair. I kiss her back hungrily wishing I could just fall into bed with her and show her how much I love her. I break the kiss and rest my forehead on hers knowing if I don't stop, I won't be able to let her leave.

"Love, you have to get going," I say regretfully. I tip her chin up with my finger when I hear her sniffle. I can see a tear has made its way down her face and I wipe it off with my hand and force her to meet my eyes. "Hey, whoa! Don't cry. I won't be able to let you leave if you do that," I say teasingly resulting in a watery chuckle from her. She nods her head, sniffles, and wipes her cheeks to clear the tears from her face and I place my hands on her waist.

"I'm sorry. I just want to go back in time and stay in bed with you and never have to leave that moment," she says while not meeting my eyes.

"Bry, we have to go," Granger says softly from behind her. She's sitting in the air on something I can't see so I can only assume they will be traveling on Thestrals.

"Coming," Briar throws over her shoulder before turning to look at me sadly again. She gives me another kiss and caresses my cheek again before glancing down at my doe necklace that has come out of my shirt from running before. I smile reassuringly at her and kiss her forehead.

"I'll be here when you get back. Just reach out to me mentally to let me know when you're back, no matter the time. I won't be going to sleep until I know you're home safely in my arms," I say before kissing her lips one more time. If possible, her eyes get even sadder after I say that.

_Something isn't right. _

She pulls me in for one last hug and she whispers in my ear "I love you, Draco Malfoy. Please never forget that," before backing away to get to the Thestral she'll be sharing with Granger.

"I love you too," I shout, despite being confused about her wording, as she mounts the back of the Thestral. She sends a sad smile my way as she places her hands around Granger's waist in front of her and soon they're just tiny specs in the sky. Something isn't sitting right with the way Briar left, but I know I'm probably just anxious about her coming home safely. I turn and start to make my way out of the Forbidden Forest and to my dormitory to wait for her to come back. Lying in bed, I stare at my ceiling now in my black t-shirt and green sleep pants playing with my necklace. My eyes drift closed and soon, I find myself gasping awake about two hours later. My necklace is warm and tingling.

_I need to get to Snape. Briar's in trouble. _

**A/N Oooohhhh we finally see the necklace in action! What do you think happened to Briar? I want opinions so hit that marvelous button on the bottom of this page for ideas ;p **


	23. Chapter 23

**Here is the second chapter of the day! Thank you so much to the two people that reviewed and I hope you all enjoy the chapters that I uploaded today! **

**Disclaimer: I obviously don't own any rights to Harry Potter because my girl J.K Rowling has those rights. If I had the rights, I'd be a lot richer and would be traveling right now! In some chapters, I do use direct dialogue because I love the writing Rowling uses so it's only used to further my scenes where I've inserted my OC. Carry on! This chapter is going to be a shocker for many at the end. *insert evil laughter hehe* Also, Ginny is not a part of this because I wanted to keep the same number of students with my OC inserted instead so yeah, that happened. Enough blabbing, go read. You know you want to;) **

**Briar POV **

Getting off of the Thestrals, we all walk cautiously through the Ministry of Magic following Harry. We all decided staying in groups of two was safer if we had to split up so I stay next to Hermione the entire time since we're a pair. For now, we all stay in a small cluster as we make our way through the Ministry, but I find myself distracted with my goodbye with Draco. The thought of him staying up tonight waiting for me to come home safely…

I feel an icy chill at the base of my spine making me snap out of my thoughts. Looking around, I feel like something is off. Just as I'm about to voice my opinion to Hermione and everyone else, Hermione nudges me to point at Harry who is standing in front of a prophecy a few steps away from us, but looking confused.

"He should be here," he says referring to Sirius. My heart jumps into my throat and his response reinforces that something is off.

"Harry," Neville says. "It's got your name on it." Harry hurries over and goes to pick up the prophecy. It starts speaking in a voice that sounds eerily like Trelawney's.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches and the Dark Lord shall mark him as his equal," the prophecy continues. My entire body feels like electricity going through it like right before I shift into my Animagus form for protection.

"We need to leave. Harry, right now," I say frantically. Everyone looks at me in fear, but Harry raises his finger to finish hearing what the prophecy says. I can feel my legs itching to run and I nervously shift from one foot to my other as Hermione looks at me in concern. Everyone else is starting to get restless as well seeing my state.

"…but he shall have power the Dark Lord knows not. For neither can live while the other survives." I can't take it anymore and I feel like my Animagus is about to crawl out of my skin.

"Now, Harry!" I yell at him, but I'm interrupted by Hermione calling his name right after me. I turn around and see someone standing with a mask on.

_Death Eater. _

Harry rushes to the front of the group in a defensive stance and Hermione gets a little closer to him as I stand on the other side.

"Where's Sirius?!" Harry yells at the walking figure.

"You know, you really should learn to tell the difference between dreams…"

_I know that voice. Oh Merlin…The dreams. _

The masked man continues walking and waves his wand to reveal Lucius Malfoy.

…and reality. You saw only what the Dark Lord wanted you to see. Now, hand me the prophecy." I step in front of Harry and shove him back as I raise my wand towards Lucius in a defensive stance. He smirks and looks me up and down in a way that makes me want to hex him into next week.

"If you do anything to us, I'll break it," Harry says from behind me.

"He knows how to play. Itty, bitty baby, Potter," an eerie voice says from behind Lucius. Out of the shadows, Bellatrix Lestrange walks towards us.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Neville says on my right from behind me.

"Neville Longbottom, is it? How's mum and dad?" She teases with a sadistic smirk.

"Better, now they're about to be avenged," Neville yells at her as he raises his wand. I turn to place a hand on his arm.

"Neville, she's trying to goad you," I whisper. I turn to look at Harry with a look of concern knowing how this is going to turn out. "Harry, my dreams were right which means we need to leave. Right now. Sirius isn't here and he never was," I say urgently. Behind me, I hear Lucius urging everyone to calm down because he only wants the prophecy. I whip around and glare at Lucius.

"Why Lucius? Why did the _great _Dark Lord need Harry to be here to come and get this? Why the games? Is he too much of a _coward _to come get a spherical crystal himself?" I sneer at him. Bellatrix yells in rage at me as Lucius puts his arm out to hold her back.

"You filthy child! How dare you speak about our Dark Lord like that!" I scoff and aggravate her more.

"Your Lord? He's not even close to being a Lord. He's afraid of a teenage boy. I don't fear him at all, Bella," I say tauntingly. She goes to say something else, but Lucius gives her a look and she glares silently at me while I smirk at her.

"Briar Griffin," Lucius drawls in an intrigued tone. "I can see why my son is enamored with you and disregarded my orders to stay away from you. As for your question, prophecies can only be retrieved by those about whom they are made which is lucky for you, really." From the corner of my eye, I see movement and turn to see more Death Eaters. We all take note of the walkways being blocked and each take a defensive stand to protect each other from the growing number of hostiles around us.

"Lucky how, Lucius?" I sneer as I face a Death Eater walking towards me. He ignores my question and directs his next sentence to Harry.

"Haven't you always wondered what was the reason for the connection between you and the Dark Lord. Why he was unable to kill you when you were just an infant. Don't you want to know the secret of your scar?"

**_He's getting too close, Harry. We need to fight our way out of here. PLEASE Harry!_**

I see him glance at me, but he glances back at Lucius to wait and see he'll say next.

"All of the answers are there Potter, in your hand. All you have to do is give it to me and then I can show you everything," Lucius finishes. There are two Death Eaters in front of me and Hermione, one for each of us now.

"I've waited fourteen years," he says and Lucius lets out an affirmation about him knowing he has waited so long for answers. The Death Eaters are now only a few steps away from us and I can feel my Animagus practically tearing at my skin. I let out a whimper of pain at keeping my Animagus at bay and almost miss Harry's last sentence. "I guess I can wait a little longer. NOW!" Harry screams and we all blast spells at the Death Eaters we're facing.

"STUPIFY!" We all yell at the same time before the Death Eaters vanish for a moment giving us a clear path to run through. We all sprint as fast as we can and I lead the way with Harry right next to me. We turn the first corner and come face to face with a Death Eater causing us to quickly run down another aisle. We get separated and I find myself with Hermione, Ron, and Harry and two Death Eaters appear out of nowhere. After fighting off Death Eaters and rounding endless corners, Hermione lets out a shocked scream as we all meet in the center together. I quickly yell "Reducto!" at a Death Eater flying down and see all of the prophecies starting to fall.

"Get back to the door!" Harry instructs and we all run as fast as we can; the sound of glass shattering following our every move. I find myself falling through the air once we make our way through the door and I quickly throw out a wandless spell to stop us from slamming into the ground. I groan and stand up shakily to see we're in the room from my dream.

"Harry," I whimper out while looking around. He looks around the room and realizes this is the room I kept seeing for weeks where I saw Lucius smirking at me. I'm so caught up in my thoughts that I don't notice Harry is speaking about voices while Hermione denies hearing any. Hermione places a hand on my shoulder and I just look at her in horror. I push a thought into her mind and she looks at me in fear and uncertainty, but nods her head in agreement.

"Get behind me," Harry says. I don't follow his directions and I stand next to him. He looks at me in confusion, but nods at me acknowledging we're equals in this moment. With a flash of dark smoke, I look around and see Harry and I are the only ones left when it all clears. Harry gets off the ground with the prophecy in his hand and I stand looking at Lucius who is walking towards us with his cane while our friends are being held by individual Death Eaters.

"Did you actually believe, no. Were you actually _naïve_ enough to think you children stood a chance against us? I'll make this simple for you, Potter. Give me the prophecy now or watch your friends die," Lucius growls.

"Don't give it to him, Harry," Neville says as I stare down Lucius in pure hatred. Harry slowly hands over the prophecy and Lucius raises it with a leer on his face.

_My dream just came true which means he should be here any moment... _

"Get away from my godson," Sirius says before punching Malfoy to the ground. I take a deep breath and know it's almost time. Tonks, Mad Eye, Remus, and Kingsley appear and start to fight off the Death Eaters and I laugh evilly at Lucius who has just shattered the prophecy. He glares at me and throws a hex at me which I easily block.

"Is that all you've got, grandpa? Why do you need that cane to walk anyway?" I say in a nasty tone that I know is taunting him to fight with all he has. I fight against Lucius throwing hex after hex at him and find myself standing next to Harry and Sirius who are fighting two other Death Eaters. They both incapacitate their Death Eaters and I see Sirius trying to take the attention off of me from Lucius.

_Where is that bitch, Bella? _

Sirius is able to get Lucius' wand out of his hand and blasts him backwards with a powerful hex. I look past Sirius to a rock where Bellatrix is raising her wand towards Sirius who can't see her. It all happens in slow motion as I shove Sirius back.

"SIRIUS!" He falls into Harry and I find myself remembering my last kiss with Draco. The first and last time we got to make love to each other. The first and last time I got to hear him say he loves me. All the smiles, love, and sliding my hand into his and now I'm sliding into an unknown darkness. I see a flash of light encompass my body and I find myself falling to the stone ground. The last thing I see is Bellatrix's smirk and hear my name being yelled by my friends.

As I fade into the darkness, I can almost imagine Draco's voice calling for me. I think back to the thought I pushed into Hermione's mind right before the fight as everything goes black.

**_Tell Draco I'm sorry and that I love him. _**


	24. Chapter 24

**OMG so I got two more reviews earlier today so you know what that means! Double chapters again! Thank you so much for the reviews everyone. They really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad I have followers who enjoy the way the story is unfolding. I had someone review and say they hope there was more because they were obsessed so I'm happy to announce that ooooohhhhhh there's so much more left! I plan on continuing all of this until the very end of Deathly Hallows so keep the reviews coming and predictions because I love hearing everyone's thoughts. You guys are stuck with me for a while so buckle in, kiddos! **

**Draco POV **

"Snape! Open the door! SNAPE PLEASE!" I yell and bang on the door so hard I can feel bruises already forming on the side of my hand. The door is ripped open and I find a very angry Snape on the other side of the door.

"Mr. Malfoy, do you have _any _idea what time it…" I shove my way into his office and start pacing back in forth.

"I KNOW!" I yell at him as my hand grips a fist full of my hair. He storms over to me, ready to tear me a new one for being disrespectful, but I look up at him as I feel my heart breaking. A tear runs down my face and I see him freeze in his spot in shock as he has never seen me cry before.

"Draco…" He says cautiously.

"I don't think Briar's okay…The necklace… I don't know how to get in touch with her. She's not answering me when I reach out to her mind. I don't know if she's too far away or if she can't respond because she's…" My voice breaks at the thought of why she can't response.

_She has to be okay. She's coming home soon. _

I look up and see Snape nod his head at me before rushing over to his fireplace, but he is stopped when the flames ignite and someone steps out. The man steps out with a grim face and stares right at Snape with a look of sadness.

"I'm so sorry, Severus. She's gone," the man says before I see Snape turn to look at me in sorrow. The man finally notices I'm there and his face falls even further, if possible.

"Who's gone? Who are you?" I yell at him in anger, but find my voice wavering as I fight to keep my emotions under control. He hangs his head in sorrow and walks slowly towards me to stand in front of me.

"I'm Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather…And an admirer of Briar Griffin," he whispers the last part reverently as if her name was a sacred prayer. He looks into my eyes and sends me a small smile. "She loved you so much, my boy. She spoke highly of you when I met her over break and the few times we floo messaged before Umbridge started to monitor them. I even started to see her as a daughter I never had because of her wisdom and kindness." My eyes widen in panic at his use of tense. Before I can open my mouth to ask him why he was speaking that way, the floo network opened up again and a tear stained face of Granger stared back at us. Her eyes settle on me and a tear runs down her face as she walks briskly towards me.

"What are you doing here, Granger?" I sneer. She stays silent and just sniffles in response. "What? Weasel got your tongue?"

"Draco…" She says in a broken whisper. I gulp and my malicious demeanor falls away and is replaced with a vulnerability I never thought anyone, but Briar would see.

"Where is she, Hermione? Where is Briar?" I hear Snape gasp in pain and turn to face him to see him staring at Hermione wide eyed. He turns to face me and he walks the few steps to me before placing a hand on my shoulder before I can shove him away. Suddenly, I'm not in Snape's office, but the Ministry of Magic staring right at Briar.

_I must be in Hermione's memories. _

**"Harry," Briar whimpers out while looking around. I see my hand on her shoulder before suddenly I can hear her voice in my head.**

**_Tell Draco I'm sorry and that I love him. _**

_Why is she sorry?! _I think frantically as I watch the memory unfold.

**I can feel arms restraining me as Briar and Potter are in the center speaking with my father inaudibly. I see the man, Sirius, punch my father and the scene changes to fights all around me and I catch a glimpse of Briar fighting my father as I fight Death Eater after Death Eater. I hear a shout and see Briar standing next to Potter and Sirius as I see my father incapacitated and wandless all thanks to Sirius.**

**I hear Briar yell "SIRIUS!" and turn to see her shove him out of the way through Hermione's eyes. A bolt of green light rushes towards Briar and envelops her as a tiny glint of rainbow is seen meeting the green light from her chest. Her body slumps to the ground and I see Potter yell in sorrow and rage as he rushes towards the one who shot the curse; my Aunt Bellatrix. Sirius bends down over Briar's body and I see myself rushing towards them. In Hermione's body still, I bend down so that I can stare at the ashen face of Briar as Sirius places his hand on hers. A tear falls on Briar's face and I reach up to wipe it from my eye before everything fades to black.**

I'm transported back to Snape's office. With a jolt, I look at all three of them in utter shock as I find myself on shaky legs barely able to hold me up. I take a step back only to stumble and see all of them reach out to me to help.

"Don't touch me!" I yell as I stare at different spots of the room. I think of the promise I made Briar and feel the need to get to her room as quickly as possible so I don't get there after she does. A numbness has filled my body and I can feel my mouth opened slightly in shock still.

"Draco, we should go see Dumbledore," Hermione says as she reaches a hand towards me. I shake my head slowly as if my head is full of heavy sand.

"No, I need to get back to her room…Briar's room. I told her I'd be there when she came home safely to me. I need to…" I trail off in my numb stupor as I stumble and turn to stagger through the halls. As I'm walking, I see Potter, Longbottom, Lovegood, Weasley, and Dumbledore leaving his office and they all look at me somberly.

"Malfoy," Potter says as his voice cracks. I shake my head and continue to blindly make my way through the halls ignoring him. I feel a spark of rage as his hand touches my shoulder.

"NO!" I yell as I shake him off. I stumble backwards as I face him and stare at all of them before my gaze settles on Potter. "She warned you! She warned you and you didn't listen and now…" I yell before settling into a detached tone. I shake my head to clear my thoughts.

"Draco, step into my office, please. We should discuss what has happened," Dumbledore says from behind Potter. I stand still and shake my head as I stare wide eyed at him.

"I can't. I need to get to her room. I told her I'd meet her," I whisper barely registering the look of sympathy all of them give me. After stumbling through the hallways, I find myself in front of the painting that hides her room. The doe seems to stare at me sadly and I whisper the password before going inside. Barely taking time to close the door, I find myself sitting in the center of the bed facing the door waiting for my doe to walk in with her beautiful smile that lights up the room. Movement in my peripheral vision has my gaze shifting to the side table where our photo from Christmas is. I scoop it up delicately and stare at it with a smile on my face before I see a droplet of water splash onto the glass surface. In confusion, I wipe my face only to find it's wet with tears that have been silently falling down my face.

Toeing my shoes off, I take off my robes to leave me in my fancy slacks and button down shirt that still smelled of Briar from when she wore it earlier. Loosening and removing my tie, I lay it on the night table and scoot back onto the bed with the photograph still in my hand; my eyes refusing to leave her face. Laying down slowly onto my right side, I rest the photograph onto the pillow so it lays horizontally. I lay my head on the pillow where I had stared into her eyes as I caressed her beautiful face moments after we made love. Clutching my left hand around my necklace and my other hand under my pillow, I stare at her smiling face and watch her laugh, kiss my nose, and snuggle into me on my couch at the Manor. My tears stain the pillow and I feel the numbness settle as well as the sadness that she won't be walking through her door ever again. I close my eyes and focus on my breathing until I find myself giving into my exhaustion. I send out one last message to her in my mind and wait for her response, but am only met with a restless night's sleep and images of her face as she lays on the stone floor of the Ministry of Magic. She looked so peaceful. She could've been sleeping.

**_Where are you, my doe? Please, come home. _**

**A/N Yes, I ripped my own heart out writing this! What do you guys think? Do you think Briar is actually dead? How do you think this will affect Draco as a person and decisions he makes going forward? R&R as always, loves! **


	25. Chapter 25

**Here's the second chapter for the double chapter due to you amazing two reviewers that reviewed this afternoon! I apologize for this chapter being a little sad, but it gets better at the end, I promise! **

**Draco POV**

Everything hurts. That's the first thought that floats into my foggy brain. The second is that I've been asleep for twelve hours when I glance at the clock on the side table. Groaning, I roll to my back and open my eyes to stare at the ceiling when I hear something fall to the ground with a _thud_. Scrunching my eyebrows in confusion, I go to sit up and feel my muscles and bones protest with every movement. Finally sitting up, I look over to the floor and see the photo of Briar and me laying on the ground.

_Briar. _

The memories from yesterday come flooding back with a vengeance and I find myself fighting off tears again. I sniffle once and clear my throat to push down my emotions before getting redressed in my robes, shoes, and tie from yesterday. Numbly standing, I pick up the photograph and hold it in my crossed arms against my chest and make my way to exit the room. With a blink, I'm in the hallway and hear the painting close with a soft _click_. Turning, I glance at the painting to see it's now just a painting of the woods. The doe is gone. Sadness slithers up my spine like a snake before I push it down again and focus on clutching the photo to my chest in a protective manner.

Standing in front of Snape's office, my mind doesn't even question how I made my way to the door without my mind processing it. I'm too numb to care. Unwrapping my right hand from the photo in my arms, I knock tentatively on his door before it quickly curls back around Briar's memory. A gust of air causes me to look up and I see Snape take in my rumpled clothes and appearance. I know my eyes must be bloodshot from crying myself to sleep; bags dark and skin ghostly pale from my emotional turmoil. Snape steps to the side and I shuffle inside his office to stand in front of his desk.

"Your mother floo messaged this morning. Your father is in Azkaban," Snape says softly. Gazing at him emotionlessly, I barely register that he's behind his desk now with his hands on top of a letter.

My only response is a quick shrug of my shoulders. I could really care less about my father right now. I can feel Snape's eyes burning a hole into my chest where the framed picture is clutched in my hands like a protective shield. I glance up at him and hold his stare for a few seconds before hesitantly holding the framed image out to him. He softly grasps it and I see him stare at it as my arms hang limply to my sides. I can hear him quietly whisper my name before I realize I've sunk into the chair that is behind me. My father would be appalled at my hunched shoulders and down turned chin. Malfoy men don't sit with such disregard for posture. Snape slides the photo towards me on his desk so that it's in my view. Her head is thrown back as she laughs and I reach my hand out to lightly trace her face. A small smile graces my lips at seeing her so happy and carefree in my arms. How I wish I could go back to that day.

"I miss you," I whisper to her framed self. I'm met with her snuggling into my arms as I softly kiss her forehead.

"Draco," Snape says again and I find him crouched next to my chair so he's eye level with me. I look at him with defeat encompassing my entire body. He stares at me for a few moments before he seems to make a decision with himself. He nods his head and goes to stand up. "Come with me," he orders. With the frame now clutched against my chest again, I follow him with little coaxing. Green flames surround me and I find myself stepping out of a fireplace next to Snape. Following him without looking up, I see black tiles on the floor.

Snape stops suddenly causing me to look up at him after crashing into his cloaked back. We're in a room with a long table, but what catches me by surprise is the man, Sirius, is sitting at the table with two other people.

"What the bloody hell is he doing here, Severus?! He can't be here!" The man addressing Snape stares at me with an angry glare and my eyes fall to the ground to avoid their stare.

"He deserves to know, Mad Eye," Snape addresses the man who had been glaring at me. The woman sitting next to him sits quietly looking at me when I shyly glance up before looking down again.

"We can't trust him. I know the girl trusted him, but…"

"He has been asleep for three days! This is the first time he has been out of bed since the incident! She wouldn't want him to suffer like this," Snape yells. I look to Snape in surprise that I had been asleep for three days. I guess I had been asleep for a lot longer than twelve hours.

"While that's all sad and unfortunate, Briar specifically told us…" My eyes snap up and I look at Mad Eye in shock before cutting off the rest of his sentence.

"Briar?" I ask in a hoarse voice from screaming and crying all night. Although, I guess it's because it's the first time I've talked in more than three days apparently. Mad Eye glares at me for interrupting him, but I hold his stare silently asking for answers about what my Briar told him.

I see movement in my peripheral and see the woman walking over to me with a sad look on her face. She studies me for a moment before putting a hand on my cheek and brushes a stray tear that I was unaware had fallen from my eye. Pulling her hand away, she turns to the other three in the room.

"He deserves to know and I trust him since I know Briar trusts him. I agree with Severus. Sirius? What do you think about this?" I'm so confused about what this woman is talking about, but turn to look at Sirius to see what he has to say about all of this.

"I think Molly is onto something with her analysis. I also think that if we didn't fill him in, Briar would kick our asses especially when she finds out he was out of it for three days. She may be short, but that one has a mean right hook," he concludes with a chuckle.

Mad Eye grumbles something in the corner, but nods his head in agreement before leaving the room. I tap the woman on the shoulder and she turns to look at me. I take in her features and realize she must be the mother of the Weasleys with her hair color.

"Briar?" I whisper my question again as my throat protests against being used. Mrs. Weasley sends a kind smile my way and nods her head. I follow after her as Snape trails behind us with Sirius. Winding through the hallways, we're soon climbing up some stairs and past a portrait that has a black curtain over it. Snape walks next to me down a narrow hallway before we stop at a door with the name _Regulus Arcturus Black _on it. The door opens with a quick _squeak _from the rusty hinges before I'm ushered into the room as my arms squeeze the frame to my chest more securely.

Glancing around I can see this was definitely a boy's room. The interior has all dark color schemes on the furniture, walls, and even the carpet on the floor. My eyes settle on the dark Queen sized bed that is set low to the ground and I see her laying there. My feet shuffle me closer as it becomes harder to breathe. Placing the photo on the bed side table, it now faces the bed. Falling to my knees, my hands press against the soft duvet as I study her ashen face as I can feel tears tracking down my cheeks. Sniffling, I reach my finger out and brush her cheek softly before grabbing the hand laying on the bed closest to me. She's so cold. I bring her hand to my mouth and softly kiss it before placing my two hands clasping her right hand back on the comforter. Studying her more closely though, I find it harder to breath for another reason.

I gasp. Her chest just moved. She's breathing. Briar isn't dead.

**A/N Yeahhhhh you guys really thought I was gonna kill my girl off? Nah, not happening! Curious about what's going to happen? I guess you'll just have to leave some reviews to read moreeeee ;)**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N I got two more reviews so double chapters again?! You guys are absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for the amazing reviews and continuing to read and support this story that I have come to love. It has been an absolute journey and it's one that has a very long way to go so continue reading, reviewing, and being absolutely amazing! Enjoy the first of the double chapters! The second chapter will be posting later in the evening today so keep an eye out for it XOXO**

**Draco POV **

Snapping my head to the three standing in the doorway, I find them watching me carefully. My hands clutch Briar's hand like she'll disappear the second I let go.

"She's…" I start to say before I gasp for another breath as more tears fall down my face. I turn back to Briar and release one of my hands from hers and reach to cup her cheek. I rub my thumb over her smooth cheek before letting it wander towards her slightly parted lips. My thumb shakes as it hesitantly rests on her lower lip and I can feel the light, barely present puffs of hot air leaving her lips and caressing my finger.

"She's not dead. After studying Ms. Granger's memory, the only possible explanation is her necklace," Snape concludes. I turn my head to look at him as both hands clutch her hand again. "When Bellatrix's curse hit Ms. Griffin, there was an aura that came from her necklace and seemed to protect her from the full effect of the curse. I don't know what to make of it yet without researching more, but this is only the second time, that I know of, that someone has survived a killing curse. I doubt there will be many answers." I stare at Snape in wonder and shock for a few moments before breaking the silence again.

"Do you…Do you think she will wake up?" I gaze at Snape and can barely contain the hope I feel bubbling up in my chest, but I push it down in fear of his answer not being what I want.

"I believe so, Draco. However, like I said, we won't have many answers until I am able to research," he states cautiously and I can feel anger stir inside of me.

"Then what are you doing standing there?! Go research! I need to know if she will be alright!" I feel some remorse for snapping at him, but all I can think about is watching Briar "die" in Hermione's memories and her now pale face sleeping on the bed. I rub my thumb on her skin and almost shudder at the coldness. She feels like a corpse.

"You watch yourself, son! You're lucky we even told you she was here," Mad Eye growls in my direction. I feel my skin prickle and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I stand and let one hand release Briar's as the other holds onto her hand like a life line.

"Lucky?! I watched her die and you have the audacity to imply you were going to let me continue thinking she was dead?!" At the end of my sentence, I'm screaming so loud that my voice seems to bounce from wall to wall around us violently. Mrs. Weasley takes a step forward and glares at Mad Eye on her side.

"Alastor, leave," she states in a tone that leaves no room for argument. He storms out muttering under his breath and Snape takes that as his cue to leave to start his research. Mrs. Weasley turns to me and I see her eyes soften a little. My anger leaves my body and I feel drained after using so much energy after not using my body or voice in three days. I turn my head to admire Briar's face as my knees force me to sink to the floor once again. All I want is to crawl into bed and hold her so I can protect her from whatever she's facing behind those restless eyelids of hers. A hand on my shoulder pulls my focus from her beautiful face. I look to see Mrs. Weasley kneeling next to me.

"I just need her to wake up," I whisper. My own mother has never seen me this vulnerable and I can almost hear my father sneering at me to stop crying because Malfoy men don't show weakness, but Briar changed me. I have never agreed with my father on much, but seeing how threatened he was by me wanting to be with Briar made me feel almost free in a way. I felt free to choose my own path even if I knew I would face punishment from him. I remember that day in the Room of Requirement when I told Briar that I would protect her until my last dying breath if I had been in that muggle's place in the forest and I meant it. My father can do whatever he wants to me if he ever gets out of Azkaban. I'm keeping my promise to Briar to choose who I want to be and not following in my father's example. I'm choosing to be with her.

"Our girl is strong, Draco," Mrs. Weasley whispers breaking me out of my thoughts. She sends me a small smile and wipes a tear from my face. "Did you know Briar and I spoke about you after she spoke with Sirius for the first time at Christmas?"

I remember back to our first Christmas together and how she practically begged me to come here with her to see the Weasleys and Potter. Of course, I refused, but she never did tell me much about that holiday. I shake my head no and stay silent, waiting for her to continue.

"Well, after she spoke with Sirius, I stopped her before she could use the Floo network and we had a nice little chat about life. This girl is in love with you and I hope you know that?" I send her a small smile and nod my head. "Good because she would not stop blushing when I confronted her about a certain Malfoy heir that seemed to be all Ginny could tease her about," she says teasingly. I let out a light chuckle before looking at Briar's face. My smile slips a little and I stroke a piece of hair away from her face.

"Do you really think she'll wake up?" My voice cracks and I can feel my throat getting more irritated by the second from screaming after misuse for the few days I was unconscious.

"I do," Mrs. Weasley whispers reassuringly. "She's not done here yet, Draco. She'll come back to us. We just need to be patient, learn as much as we can about rare magical outcomes like her and Harry, and wait for her to get strong again. Her body has to heal itself from the trauma it went through when she was hit with that curse." Thinking about how it's my Aunt Bellatrix fault that my doe is laying in this bed has my anger starting to rise, but that anger quickly melts away when I look at Briar. She wouldn't want me to get revenge. She would want me to do everything I can to help Snape get more information so she has answers when she wakes up. My little bookworm would bombard me with questions the second her eyes open and that thought has me releasing a little chuckle. I see Mrs. Weasley's eyebrow raise in question so I turn to look her in the eye.

"I was just thinking about how Briar will start asking questions the second she wakes up. She's always so curious about everything," I say hoarsely and Mrs. Weasley chuckles and nods in agreement.

"Oh, yes she is. That's part of the reason her and my daughter became friends I think. Those two can talk for hours and still find more questions to ask each other which leads to endless more hours of research. Don't even get me started on when Hermione is added to that mix." She rolls her eyes playfully before studying me for a moment as I smile and let out a hesitant chuckle. Laughing while Briar is laying her helplessly doesn't sit right with me.

After a few more moments of silence and me watching Mrs. Weasley, she nods her head as if coming to a conclusion of some sorts before she starts speaking again.

"Right, well, you are welcome to stay in here with her, of course. I highly doubt I can convince you to leave now that you know she's here?" She leaves the sentence as a question, but she already knows the answer before I shake my head. She smiles at me warmly. "I will send a floo message to your mother at the Manor and just inform her you had to stay at school for another day or two before returning home for the summer break. If you need anything, I will be downstairs. Okay?"

I send her a small smile in response and nod my head. She must think I'm a bobble head at this point, but I can't find anything to say until she is almost out the door.

"Mrs. Weasley?" She turns and looks at me in concern for a moment.

"Yes, sweetheart?" I feel my lips curve upward at the motherly term of endearment.

"Thank you. For telling me she's here. For being a mother to her on Christmas when she didn't have one. Just…Thank you," I say sincerely. I can count on one hand the amount of times I have thanked someone sincerely so I'm not shocked to see her looking at me in awe.

"You have nothing to thank me for, sweetheart. It was and _is_my pleasure," she says before turning towards the door again. After a few moments, I find myself staring at Briar's face when I hear her call to me. "Draco?"

"Yes?" I turn my head to look at her.

"You can call me Molly," she says before finally exciting the room. I feel my face break into a small smile before I turn to face Briar's sleeping form again.

**_Please wake up, my doe. I miss you. _**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N Wow the weather was beautiful today! I apologize for this chapter being so late, but I was outside soaking up the sun while I could! Thank you for your patience, everyone and I hope you enjoy this chapter! As always, R&R! **

**Draco POV**

"Sweetheart, you have to eat," Molly says from across the table. For the past two days, I've stayed here at Sirius's house and watched over Briar. Out of the two days, I can count on one hand the number of hours I've slept and have barely eaten. Glancing up at her, I lightly shake my head.

"I'm not hungry," I mumble quietly. Molly gives a look of disapproval, but is interrupted by Sirius walking in. I haven't seen him since he came through Snape's Floo network the day he said Briar didn't make it.

"Hello, Draco," he says with a small nod of his head.

"Did you know?" My voice is barely above a whisper. He just stares at me. "DID YOU KNOW?!" I stand abruptly knocking the chair I'm in over behind me. Sirius doesn't even flinch at my movements.

"Yes." He doesn't offer any other information. I turn to look at Molly.

"Who knows she's not dead?"

"Just me, you, Severus, Dumbledore, Alastor, and Sirius." I nod my head before turning to Sirius with a glare. I barely register Molly reminding me I have to leave in a few minutes as I stomp up the stairs towards Briar's room. I slam her door and rest my hands on the black wood as I take a deep breath to calm the anger I feel towards everyone for keeping this from me. Especially Snape.

Looking over my shoulder, I see Briar's sleeping face as her chest rises and falls steadily. I quickly walk over to her bed and lay down next to her before taking her into my arms. Her head rests against my shoulder and I place her hand on my chest so I can intertwine our fingers together. My other hand finds its way to her hair and I lightly stroke it as I place a kiss on her forehead.

"I'm not giving up on you, my doe. We're going to find a way to wake you up," I whisper against her forehead as my lips rest of her cold skin. I close my eyes for a few moments and can even feel my body relaxing as I hear the soft sound of her breathing and feel her body pressed against mine.

"Draco," Molly says making my eyes snap open to see her standing in the doorway. She has a small smile on her face as she looks at us. "We have to get going. Your mother is expecting you." I nod my head and place another kiss on Briar's forehead before slowly removing myself from the bed and letting her rest on her back again. Following Molly out of the room, I glance back one more time before mentally saying goodbye to her for a little while.

"Molly? Would I be able to tell my mother about Briar?" Molly looks at me sadly and shakes her head no.

"I'm sorry, Draco, but she needs to think she's dead. We don't know if her mind is safe from those around her." I nod my head in understanding, but realize I will have to stay away from Briar the entire summer to keep up the illusion that she's dead. If someone ever followed me here and saw she was still alive, she would be in danger. I turn to tell Molly all of this and find her face has already fallen more because of the defeated look on my face before I even open my mouth.

"I won't be able to come here then to see her, will I?" I don't even have to look at her to know her answer. "I can't stay away from her, Molly. I can't go about my life not knowing how she's doing now that I know she's not dead. I just can't," I whisper and my voice cracks at the end. She stays silent for a moment and I almost think she won't say anything back when she suddenly breaks the silence.

"I will write you then. At the end of every week, I will send you updates so you know how she is doing and if there are any updates. Does that sound alright?" I look at her in shock and find myself wanting to hug her for her kindness, but I refrain from it and instead ask her the question that has been weighing on my mind since I got here two days ago.

"Why are you being so nice to me? I've tormented your children since day one and have said hateful things about your family since I was a first year. Why are you going out of your way to do all of this for me when I don't deserve it?"

"Who says you don't deserve it?" I just stare at her with a blank face because I don't have a suitable answer to her question. She sends me a small smile. "Draco, my guess is you have been raised like every other Pureblood child has been. You were raised to praise some wizards and look down on others. That's not your fault, but rather those who think blood status is more important than being a decent person. Briar wouldn't love you if she thought you were someone who held blood status first instead of being a decent wizard and she certainly wouldn't have defended you when Ronald tried to talk badly about you at Christmas," she states confidentially. I had no idea Briar had defended me against Ron when she visited for Christmas. I nod my head in understanding and follow after her when she gestures to the stairs that would take us into the family room.

Standing in front of the Floo network, Molly and Sirius stand there waiting to see me off. I turn to Sirius and hold out my hand for him to shake. He stares at my hand in shock for a moment before shaking it and nodding his head at me in acceptance. Releasing his hand, I look him in the eyes.

"Thank you for everything you did and continue to do for Briar. Snape the other day said you would be helping him with trying to find answers. I can't thank you enough." He looks at me sadly.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save her. I had no idea what she was doing when she shoved me out of the way and that Bellatrix would…" I cut him off and speak to him in a firm voice.

"Stop. While I'm still mad Briar is upstairs in a coma for Merlin knows how long, I know you wouldn't have been able to stop her. My girl is very stubborn when she sets her mind to something," I finish with a teasing tone. He smirks at me before scoffing in agreement.

"She does have an unimaginable amount of determination, doesn't she?" I give him a small smile and see Molly smiling at our exchange a few steps in front of me by the fireplace. I walk to her and she pulls me into a hug that surprises me into silence. After a few moments, I find my arms slowly making their way around her. My chest starts to tighten as I feel my unacknowledged emotions from the past few days begging to come out as her embrace reminds me the one I want embracing me is insentient. I'll have to wait a few more minutes before I can let them out.

Pulling out of the hug, I grab some Floo powder and step into the fireplace. Admiring the two people in front of me, I silently thank Merlin that they will be here trying to wake up Briar throughout the entirety of the summer break.

"Malfoy Manor," I say clearly and throw the floo powder down to my feet. Stepping out of the fireplace, I look around and am reminded that a few months ago Briar had been here celebrating the holidays with me. A few months ago, she wasn't in a bed comatose and her future wasn't unknown. Before it even registers in my mind, I'm on my knees on the floor as I sob loudly. I feel like my chest is about to rip open from the anguish I feel from how quickly everything went downhill. Hours before she was unconscious, she was in my arms looking at me as we became one. Now I don't even know if she will ever wake up and look at me with those emerald eyes ever again.

"Draco!" I can hear my mother's heels clicking against the floor as she races to get to me. I see her kneel in front of me and she places her hands on my face to force my eyes to hers, but it just makes me sob harder because it reminds me of Briar's hands on my face as we said goodbye in the forest. It reminds me of the goodbye she gave me and how she knew she wouldn't be coming back. She knew…

"Draco, my love, what happened?!" My mother's eyes stare at me in concern and I can feel my body shaking uncontrollably.

"Briar…Dead…I can't…" That's all I can gasp out before she hugs me to her chest as I cry and shake. After what feels like hours, my sobs have turned to hiccups and I can feel my eyes starting to droop closed in exhaustion. I clutch onto my mother's arms more securely as I feel the darkness pulling me under. I can hear my mother trying to soothe me, but I give into the darkness and numbness rather than answering back. The last thing I remember before I completely give in is emerald eyes and how much I wish to see them again one day.


	28. Chapter 28

**I just got another review so ****next chapter will be dedicated to katie93319! K****eep an eye out tomorrow for another chapter! You guys are absolutely amazing! I do need to give a special shoutout to a guest named Kenna who was my very first review and who I have apparently made cry with the previous chapter, but that just means I'm doing my job so you're welcome! Also, you were the reason I gave all of my readers a look into Narcissa's head this chapter so thank you so much for giving me that brilliant idea! **

**As always, thank you to each and every one of my reviewers and please enjoy this chapter and the one that will be posted tomorrow! We will be seeing the very first letter from Molly due to katie93319 expressing her happiness at Mrs. Weasley sending Draco updates so I hope you enjoy her letter in the next chapter, love! **

**R&R! **

**Narcissa POV**

I watch Draco as he sleeps curled up under the sheets of his King-sized bed. After he passed out from exhaustion, I summoned a house elf to apparate him back to his room so that he can rest, but I've been watching him for the past hour. During Christmas time when I met Briar, I could see the love my son had for her in his eyes and to see him so broken right now has tears silently running down my face. I can't believe she's dead. Wiping the tears from my cheeks, I make my way to my husband's old office and throw some Floo powder into the fireplace.

"Severus Snape," I state to the fireplace and within seconds, the green flames turn blue before extinguishing themselves. Standing up, I face the photo that sits on the mantle above the fireplace at the corner with a look of disgust on my face. It's a picture of my husband smiling and standing over the corpse of a muggle next to my father in law. He can't be more than thirteen in the photo, but they both stare at the corpse and then the person taking the photo in pride. My husband and I have never agreed with our thoughts on blood status and muggles' places in the world, but we never had to as we had an arranged marriage. Don't get me wrong, my husband and I were in love for years which resulted in Draco's birth, but after his father passed it seemed like my husband died as well.

The man I knew warped into a cruel man who didn't care about anything other than making others suffer. He wanted control and I think his father's death had something to do with it. I never knew how he died, but Lucius's new demeanor makes me believe he wanted to regain the control his father had lost when he died in a way. Trying to talk with my husband never ended well as he had become an increasingly more private person and even became cruel towards Draco. I couldn't even look him in the eyes after the first time he hit Draco when he was eleven because Draco dared to say he wasn't sure he wanted to be in Slytherin.

Lucius had always been controlling of what Draco did, but I never thought he would harm him. I know the abuse continued as he got older, but I knew my words wouldn't mean anything because it couldn't stop the actions my husband was taking against our son. It also didn't help that all of it occurred whenever I wasn't around. He made sure I couldn't interfere. I missed my husband now that he was in Azkaban, but I miss the man I married more. The man that would bring me random gifts. The man that woke me up in the middle of the night to make love to me. The man who protected me and treated me and our son with respect and kindness. I want my husband back, but after his father's death; I lost hope over the next few years as I realized he just got more and more cruel.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts of my husband by the fire coming to life in the fireplace and Severus steps out of the fireplace. He stares at me with his emotionless gaze and I rush forward to stand in front of him.

"Severus, what happened? Draco is upstairs sleeping finally, but he was sobbing for hours! He said Briar is dead? Is that true? Please tell me that poor girl isn't dead," I whisper almost pleadingly with him. His sad eyes meet mine and I gasp in horror.

_My poor Draco. _

"I'm sorry, Narcissa. She sacrificed herself to save someone else. There was nothing anyone could do."

"What am I supposed to do, Severus? How do I help, Draco? He loved her with everything in him. I have never seen him talk so highly of someone or be so fiercely protective before Briar. He was already talking to me about getting out of his arranged marriage to Ms. Parkinson. I was going to tell him when he got home that I was able to get out of the contract due to Lucius being in Azkaban, but now…" I trail off and look at Severus as I see his eyes change in shock at what I'm saying, but I also see a hint of guilt?

What Severus doesn't know is that I have learned how to read when a man is lying to me. It became mandatory as my husband changed over the years and would lie about how Draco acquired bruises. He's lying now and I'm going to get to the bottom of it.

Tilting my head, I survey him and tilt my head in curiosity. His hands are clutched tightly behind him and he has a very tense look on his face as his lips move. I didn't even realize he had started talking again because I was studying his nonverbal queues.

"…Draco will process and he will be alright," Snape continues to drone on about Draco and how he will get through this and be alright before the school year begins, but I'm more distracted by how he seems to hesitate. Every time Snape goes to speak about Briar, he seems to talk slower as if making sure he uses his tenses correctly.

"What are you lying about, Severus?" He stops talking abruptly and looks me in the eyes.

"Lying, Narcissa?" I scoff and sit on the chair that my husband used to sit in for meetings.

"I'm not as blind as my husband seemed to think. I know you're keeping something from me about Briar. How did she truly die?"

"Sirius Black was who she jumped in front of," Snape says and I push down the shock I feel at hearing his name. I stay silent and he continues. "Narcissa, Briar saved Sirius Black. You know about The Order as you have known for years that I've been a part of it. You're the one who pushed me to become a member so Draco would have a safe place to go if the Dark Lord ever tried to recruit him, but do not question my loyalty."

"I do not question your loyalty, Severus. I question what you are not telling me. I want the full story and I want it now!" I say harshly as my patience is starting to wear thin. I have a distraught son upstairs who just lost the love of his life and I'm not getting all of the information.

"Narcissa, Draco…" I snap and stand to face him as I yell in frustration and fury. I know some part of me will feel badly about yelling at him, but Merlin's beard! I'm a mother and if I don't do everything I can to get information to help my son then I will hex Severus without a thought. My son will always come first.

"Draco is upstairs after sobbing in my arms for hours, Sev! Hours! I have only seen him cry twice in his life and that was only for a few minutes. He is heartbroken and I will not stay here while you keep secrets from me. Are you really loyal to me and my son or are you more concerned with where you stand with Dumbledore incase the Dark Lord comes back to recruit you?! Did you even care about Briar like you claim you did?!"

"How dare you accuse me of being disloyal! He is my godson for Merlin's sake! The Dark Lord is already trying to find me to recruit me again and yes, that is Dumbledore's plan to use me as a double agent again, but don't you _dare _question my feelings towards Briar! She is like a daughter to me and the situation she is in is heartbreaking! Not just to Draco, but to everyone that cares for her!"

_Oh Severus, it was too easy to get your anger to come out and cause you to slip up. _

"Hmmm is, Severus?" I sit back down with a satisfied smirk on my face. He stares at me blankly as his rage leaves his body and his shoulders fall.

"She will always be like a daughter to me, even in death," he whispers and looks away from my eyes.

"You can't look me in the eyes, Severus and you said 'situation she is in.' I want answers and I don't want any of those accusations that my mind isn't safe. You know I'm the one who helped Draco become so good at occlumency, not Lucius. So, tell me Sev, where is Briar?" I finish my question with a bite to my tone. He stares at me blankly before huffing in frustration. Snape strides across the room and sits on the couch across from me before grabbing a glass from the table next to his seat. After filling it with some of my husband's expensive whiskey, he takes a sip and I can physically see how much all of this has weighed on him.

"She's not dead," he whispers. I gasp and lean forward in anger.

"You let Draco think…" My yells of anger are interrupted.

"Draco knows. Molly told him not to tell you because she wasn't sure your mind was protected, but you and I both know you're annoyingly good at keeping your mind closed to those around you," he says with a slight tease to his tone. I ignore his tone and continue to stare him down while waiting for him to continue, but he doesn't so I find myself prompting him to continue.

"What do you mean he knows? He was distraught for hours, Sev! My son wouldn't be that upset for nothing." I start to fear where Briar actually is for that fact alone. Draco has never overreacted when it comes to his emotions. He has always had a handle on his emotions so something horrible must have happened for him to lose his head for hours before.

"Briar's not dead, but she's not exactly alive either," he pauses and I give him a look of confusion. "She was hit by the killing curse, yes, but for some reason she didn't die," he trails off and I gasp in horror. That poor girl.

"What happened truly, Severus? Who would kill a teenage girl?!"

"Bellatrix. She shot the curse at Sirius, but Briar saw her and jumped in front of him. I have been researching for hours already on how she is still alive and in a coma, but I don't know how to get her out of it. I do, however, have a theory." He stops talking and looks at me.

"Merlin's beard, Sev! Stop with all of the goddamn pauses and speak!" My mother would have a fit if she heard me speaking so improper, but this man doesn't start talking, I'm going to throw a curse at him.

"Her necklace. I think it protected her somehow because when I was watching the memory of her death from Ms. Granger, I saw a glint of rainbow hit the curse. Now, I don't know if I need to find a way to wake her up myself or if her magic will slowly bring her body out of it when she is ready, but we must keep her death believable. If anyone gets the idea she's alive, she could be in danger," he finishes. I stare at him in shock and think back to the dragon necklace my son got her for Christmas. The only other person that survived a killing curse had survived because of a mother's love. Could Draco have…No, it can't be possible. Could it?

"Do you think Draco has something to do with why she stayed alive…? I mean, the necklace she wears is his. He got it for her for Christmas and they both enchanted them to warm and alert the other when the other is in danger. Do you think…" I trail off and see his eyes widen in shock. He stands abruptly and starts pacing back and forth.

"I didn't even consider the necklace was given to her from him. Yes, that would make sense, but the rainbow…Where have I seen it before?" He continues to ramble to himself quietly for a few minutes before standing frozen in front of the fireplace.

"Sev?" I ask cautiously. His eyes snap to mine and he hurriedly walks to the fireplace with a quick "I have to go" tossed over his shoulder. With a flash of green flames, he's gone and I'm left sitting there in bewilderment.

With Sev gone, I'm brought back to the theory about Draco's necklace being a possibility of why Briar is still alive. Walking up the stairs, I find myself in Draco's doorway again as I gaze at him sleeping soundly. I stride to the side of his bed and sit to brush his hair off of his forehead. He stirs slightly and I hold my breath hoping I didn't wake him.

"Bry," he mumbles and is pulled back into his sleep with a small smile on his face.

_Please, Briar. Please wake up for Draco's sake. _


	29. Chapter 29

**This chapter starts with a dream so enjoy! I got done with editing early so enjoy the chapter earlier than tomorrow! (Even though tomorrow is in 15 minutes here lol) I know it's a little short, but trust me, the next chapter is a doozy and hella long. **

**One week later**

**Draco POV**

**Laying on my back, I gaze at the ceiling of the room. With a sigh, I go to close my eyes again when I hear a giggle from my right. It's then that I notice there's someone laying right next to me with a hand on my arm. **

**"What has you so frustrated, my dragon?" My eyes widen in shock and my head whips to the right to stare at the girl laying on her side. Her head is resting on her pillow that is entrapping her left-hand under it while her right-hand rests on my arm. I can feel the warmth radiating from her palm and seeping into my skin. A huge smile breaks across my face and I hurriedly turn to face her. **

**"BRIAR!" I quickly scoop her into my arms and start planting kisses all over her face wherever I can reach. Pulling back slightly, my hands frame her smiling face and gently kiss her nose causing her to giggle. **

**"Well then, that's got to be the most pleasant good morning I've ever gotten," she says teasingly. I chuckle and pull her face to me to plant a lingering kiss on her lips. With a soft groan, her hands fist in my shirt to pull me closer. I nip her bottom lip and pull it to me hungrily before continuing to claim her lips as my hand slides down to her clothed thigh. Pulling it over my legs, I drag her body impossibly closer before her hands place themselves on my chest in a gentle way. Giving her one, two, three more soft pecks on the lips, I pull back and slide my hand back up her body to grasp one of her hands in mine. Pulling it to my lips, I brush a lingering kiss on her knuckles and stare at into her beautiful emerald green eyes in fear. **

**"How are you here, my doe?" I whisper my question in fear of making her disappear. Her free hand caresses my cheek and I can feel a tear slide down my cheek to greet her hand. Her thumb quickly brushes it away before she leans in to kiss where my tear had just been. **

**"You need me so I'm here. I'll always be here when you need me, Dray," she whispers. I stare at her face lovingly and notice the aquamarine eyes on her dragon necklace are glowing against her neck.**

**"Briar, your necklace…" I trail off when she lets out a sad chuckle. **

**"Yes, I know. It's keeping me safe for now, but I just needed to see you. I'm so sorry for what I did, Draco. I never meant to leave you," she says sadly. I shake my head and cup her cheek. **

**"No, baby girl. You have nothing to apologize for. I know how stubborn and good you are. I know why you felt the need to save Sirius. I just wish you would wake up and I wish I had listened to you about those dreams. I miss you so much, my doe," I finish as my voice cracks. **

**"Hey, no tears, please? I miss you so much too, Draco. I hate seeing you so sad, but I don't want you to blame yourself, okay? We couldn't have known my dreams would come to a head that night. We both know I'm still figuring out my dreams and abilities. Besides, I'm here, aren't I?" I smile at her smiling face and push the sadness away. **

**"I'm so glad you're here. I've missed everything about you, Bry. I need you to wake up. Please come back to me," I say urgently. I really need her to understand how much I need her to wake up and how much I need her to be by my side. **

**"I will, Dray. When it's time and my body is healed, I will wake up. Your love is protecting and healing me as we speak, but I need to go now. I love you so much and I will see you soon, my dragon. Please stay safe," she whispers and I can see her starting to fade away. **

**"Briar, wait! Don't leave yet, please! BRIAR!" Her body evaporates into the air and I gasp in shock as I feel my necklace warm up against my chest. **

"BRAIR!" I wake up with a jolt and find myself sitting up in bed panting with the sheets tangled around my waist. Taking deep breaths, I turn to see two letters next to my bed. One is clearly from my mother as I recognize her hand writing right away, but the other letter is in an envelope with just my name scrawled across it. I open my mother's letter first.

_Draco, my love,_

_I have gone out to a meeting, but will be back soon. I love you._

_Love,_

_Your mother _

Placing the letter on the side table, I realize I will most likely have the house to myself all day since her "meetings" are normally code for shopping sprees with her friends. Pushing the thought from my head, I grab the other envelope and quickly open it to see it's from Molly.

_Sweetheart,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. I apologize it isn't longer, but I just wanted to let you know there was a development last night. S thinks he has found something that might help with our girl's situation. There is rare magic coursing through her veins and her family's lineage has given us insight into just what her magic can do. S believes she is from one of the eldest families of wizards who worshipped nature. The wizards were said to have magic that either harms or heals based on emotion which would explain her incident in the common room months ago that we discussed. It would also explain her knowledge of rare enchantments like the ones on your necklaces. S thinks the necklace is the key to all of this. _

_She said your name last night, sweetheart. I have to go now and don't want too much written on paper, but I will write you next week with more information. _

_Stay safe,_

_MW_

I read the letter a few more times and stare in shock. Briar said my name last night which meant that she was more aware mentally than we all thought. My doe might wake up soon! I think of the dream and find myself wondering if she was actually there in my mind. I make a mental note to ask Snape the next time I see him if it's possible for her to insert herself into my mind like that.

The next thought that makes me pause if Snape thinks the necklace I got for Briar might be the key to how she is still alive. I think back to the dream and recall what she said.

_"Your love is protecting and healing me as we speak." _Does that mean that my love for her had protected her like Potter's mother had all those years ago? Was that even possible? Rushing out of bed in only my green silk pajama bottoms, I find myself barging into my father's study to floo Snape to get some answers, but the sight I'm met with is not one I would've expected.

My mother is sitting with my Aunt Bellatrix. The woman who almost killed Briar.


	30. Chapter 30

**Draco POV **

"Hello, Draco! It's so lovely to see you out and about. Cissy said you were feeling under the weather," she sneers at me. I stand there in shock and can feel my anger coursing through my veins. She killed Briar, or rather, she thought she had and now she's gloating about it. She knows why I've been feeling "under the weather," but she doesn't know Briar is in a coma instead of in the ground.

I can't stay here and not try to murder her. I take a deep breath and turn to leave when her next words stop me cold.

"It's a shame about your little girlfriend. I was aiming for Black, but she just happened to get in the way. She was very pretty, but a little mouthy. You're better off with someone else a little more…obedient," she mocks and lets out an insane cackle. Before I even know it, I'm across the room to stand in front of her with my wand pressed into her neck. If looks could kill, my Aunt would be dead on the ground. I hear my mother gasp from beside me, but I ignore her and keep my focus on the sad excuse of a human in front of me.

_Who gets excited about killing a teenage girl?! MY girl?!_

"I swear on everything I have in me that if I _ever_hear you speak about her like that again, I will kill you. I don't give a shit about my soul. If I have to sacrifice a piece of it to end you then I will gladly do it if it's for Briar. Don't test me. My father taught me a thing or two about torture before he was locked in Azkaban and I've been _itching _to test them out on someone," I growl. Her eyes widen and her face pales slightly. She may see me as a child, but in this moment, she would be smart to understand I'm serious. She scoffs in my face in response.

"You wouldn't harm me. I'm your family!" She rolls her eyes and turns to look at my mother. "Cissy, you really need to teach this boy about his bluffs. Family never hurts family." I see my mother open her mouth, but my wand moves closer to my Aunt's neck in warning.

"You broke that rule, Aunt Bella," I spit. She looks at me with a look of pure insanity and smirks at me. "Briar was my family. You killed her. I should kill you right here and now, but I'm being lenient with your life because that's what she would want. You'd do well to remember that. You're only alive because of Briar," my voice cracks towards the end in sadness at uttering those words. While I know Briar isn't dead, just the thought of those words ever coming true has my eyes becoming misty.

Her dark eyes stare into my soul and I can tell she understands just how much Briar means to me. She nods her head before glancing at her sister. Without saying anything, she steps into the fireplace and is gone. My wand won't lower and I can tell I'm shaking in rage.

"Draco, my love," my mother whispers to me. She walks cautiously towards me and my eyes lock onto hers. Her hands are in front of her protectively and that's the only thing that makes me lower my wand. I continue to stare at her and stay silent because I refuse to apologize for protecting Briar. She looks at me in understanding and places her hands on my arms before pulling me into a hug. Hesitantly I wrap my arms around her with my wand still in my hand. I barely register her whispering to me "I know" before she pulls back and walks out of the room with a small smile. I go to follow her as confusion sets in.

"Mother?" She looks at me and nods her head.

"Snape," she says before walking around the corner to sit in the family room. I follow after her and find myself sitting across from her on the same couch Briar and I sat on when she took our picture. The same picture that sits on my nightstand upstairs next to my bed. The same photo I stare at before my eyes become too heavy to stay open at night.

I stare at my mother in a new light. If Snape told her Briar is in a coma then that means she must be better at keeping her mind closed off to those around us than I thought. Granted, I know she is the only other person that taught me the skill of occlumency aside from Snape whenever he wasn't available to, but I never would have guess Snape was that confident in my mother's skill.

"How much did he tell you?" She looks at me with a smug smirk before answering.

"Everything." I nod my head and chuckle sadly. I'm so tired of being sad, but not knowing if Briar will wake up is killing me. My mother, however, her smug reaction makes me genuinely adore her even more. She must be where I get my cockiness from.

"Wait, if he told you everything then maybe you can help!" My mother has been studying rare magic for years as well as many other subjects since she doesn't have a job. My father was always the one who worked while she stayed home and read in the library or went out with friends. She's almost as much of a bookworm as Briar is. Almost.

"I've actually wanted to talk to you about my theories for a while. I read about a specific family that reminds me of Briar's abilities. There was a family back a long time ago that used their magic for healing or harm based on their emotions," she starts and Molly's letter pops into my mind as she thought the same thing. How did my mother know about them?

"Molly believes she's a descendant of that family too," I whisper to her sheepishly. Is it possible to cheat on your mother emotionally? Probably not, but I'm still a little hesitant to admit I confided in Molly when my mother wasn't even aware of where I was. She looks at me oddly before she realizes who I'm talking about.

"Weasley?"

"Yes," I say shyly. "She wrote me today. She promised to write me weekly of any improvements. Briar said my name last night."

"Draco, that's phenomenal! That means she is healing and that actually goes with my theory. So, the family was known as the Denalis. They were a very powerful family and, based on Briar's age, Diana Denali could have been Briar's grandmother. If that's true then the enchantment she put on your necklaces is connected to you emotionally. What that would mean is it's so in tune with your emotions that it can feed from you to Briar and vice versa, in theory." I stare at her in understanding as I let it all sink it.

"Okay, I think I understand that, but how would that explain her being in a coma?"

"The Denali family was notorious for protecting those they love. Diana actually gave a necklace to her beloved when he went off to one of the first wizard wars when the Dark Lord rose for the first time. It's rumored in the books I've read that he was protected by her love during the battle and the only reason he died was because the chain broke and fell off during the battle. When Diana found out he died, her anguished cries harmed the one that killed the love of her life. Her screams cut into him like a knife and he bled out from her anger and sadness," she finishes. I let all of the information she gave me seep in and absorb into my brain.

"So, Briar is the descendant of Diana Denali and she can harm or heal based on emotion…That explains the common room," I whisper shocked. My mother looks at me in confusion and waits for me to continue.

"Common room?"

"Parkinson provoked Briar a few months back and Briar got so angry because she was a part of her half brother's death. She bragged about it to me and tried to make it seem like I knew about it. Luckily, my girl is smart and didn't believe her, but Parkinson ended up pinned to the wall gasping for air. Briar didn't use magic and I just assumed it was wandless magic, but she was _so _angry, mother. I swore she was going to kill Parkinson before I calmed her down," I whisper as everything starts to make sense except for one question I still have.

"Yes, her protecting her half-brother, even in death, would make perfect sense with that family's dynamic if she truly is a descendant," my mother deduces.

"It does, but mother, the coma? I still don't understand why she's in a coma."

"Right, I'm sorry, my love. I did skip that with the little history lesson. I believe Briar is in the coma because, through the necklace you got her; you were there protecting her with your love. Remember how I said the necklaces are in tune to emotions of the other person? I think the necklace fed off of your love for her in the moment she put herself in danger to save another just like her grandfather's necklace did during the battle. Or rather, what it would have done if it didn't fall off. As for the healing, I think that is all Snape and Briar's DNA. I know he was training her while she stayed here so he must have taught her self healing, but personally, I think her DNA has a major part in her healing," she concludes.

"I saved her? You really think my love for her had a hand in keeping her safe?" I can't help the first genuine smile that stretches across my face since that day in Snape's office. If I truly was capable of protecting her, even through a necklace, then I didn't fail in keeping her safe.

"I do, my love. I think your love for her protected her when she needed you the most and now her body and magic are healing her so she can come back to you. To us," she says as a smile stretches across her face as well. I let out a small chuckle of happiness before I'm standing up to close the space between us. I pull my mother out of her seat and quickly lift and spin her around before planting her feet back on the floor. Holding her in a hug, we both laugh with joy as happy tears stream down our faces.

For the first time in the past two weeks, I finally feel hope. Briar will come back to me.

**_I'm waiting for you to come home, my doe. Please wake up soon._**

**A/N Yes, we're getting back into the groove of being happy, everyone! Our Draco is finding hope again and trying to face who he wants to be with his mother by his side. I always did have a soft spot for Narcissa. We get to look at Briar's POV next chapter so stay tuned for that update! As always, thank you so much for all of the reviews! This chapter was for a review I got this morning and the one being posted tomorrow is a thanks to ANOTHER review I got today! You guys are truly amazing and make writing worth it so thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until next time, loves! **


	31. Chapter 31

**Briar POV**

All I see is darkness. All I can feel is ice coursing through my veins. Sometimes I can hear voices around me and I even got to hear Draco's voice a few times, but most of the time there is nothing but quiet. Even with all of the downsides to this limbo I seem to be in, there was one plus. I got to visit Draco and kiss him last night. Or at least, I think it was last night. Time here is a little questionable.

Time goes by and soon, my entire body hurts which is a first. I've gotten use to the numbing iciness that I've felt throughout my entire body for however long I've been stuck here. It starts in my toes and fingertips and I find that, although it's painful, I'm starting to regain feeling in them. I try to test out my fingers and find there is something on them. I use all of my mental strength and curl my fingers around the object and hear a startled gasp next to me.

_Am I holding a hand? _

I hear footsteps and whoever's hand I was holding is now gone. I can hear voices in the distance, but I'm more focused on the iciness leaving my body. With a groan, I turn my head a little and find it is surprisingly easy to do as the pain in my body is starting to seep out of my bones. Forcing my brain to cooperate, I'm finally able to open my eyes after a few unsuccessful attempts at slowly blinking them open. Gazing at the ceiling, my first question is where the Merlin am I? The ceiling looks old and worn like I'm in an old house. Turning my head slowly to the side, being mindful of the soreness that resonates in my bones; I see a bedroom I've never been in before. Everything is dark and well furnished. I run my fingers along the quilt I'm lying on top of and find it's very soft. Yes, this room is definitely owned by someone very wealthy.

Finding the strength to get my body to cooperate, I sit up as my joints pop after not being used for however long I was stuck in the darkness. Sighing softly in annoyance, I slowly swing my feet to the floor and stand up. Unfortunately, my head has a different idea as I find myself seated on the bed again after a head rush knocks me over. Letting the dizziness pass, I try again and find I'm able to stay standing this time. Taking a step forward, my legs are a little shaky, but I'm able to walk all the way to the window on the side of the room without stumbling which is a good thing. Studying outside, all I see is a dark street illuminated by street lamps letting me know it's very late. With a huff, I press my forehead against the window in frustration and feel the window's coolness seeping into my skin that is finally feeling warm again.

"Welcome back, sweetheart," a male voice says behind me. I spin around quickly and find Sirius leaning against the bedroom's doorway casually with a smile on his face. A smile stretches across my face to mirror him and I sprint across the room to pull him into a hug. His arms wrap around me and I feel a tear of happiness roll down my face at the fact he's not dead as a sigh of relief leaves my aching body.

"Sirius, thank Merlin you're alright," I whisper as I pull back and wipe the tear from my cheek. He lets out a chuckle before leaning against the doorway again.

"Me? Thank Merlin, _you're _alright. What in the _bloody _hell were you thinking?! If you were anyone else, you would be dead right now!" He yells in frustration and anger. I flinch slightly at his tone and his eyes soften.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't let you die. Harry has already lost everyone else in his family and I consider you to be a father figure to me. I already lost my father. I couldn't lose you too," I whisper while looking down to stare at my hands that are tugging at each other anxiously. My eyes stay firmly on my hands, even when I hear his soft tone speaking to me.

"Briar, I will forever be grateful you saved me, but what you did was so reckless. You could have died! Think about how all of us would feel if you were no longer here. Think about Draco," he says quietly. My head snaps up at hearing Draco's name and my eyes widen.

"Draco! Where is he? He is alright?" Sirius gives me a soft nod and smile.

"Yes, sweetheart. He's alright. We all told him he couldn't visit the entire summer because we weren't sure if it was safe, but now that you're awake I'll try to figure something out. Although, it will be harder now that he's a Death Eater," he mumbles irritably.

"WHAT?! How could he become a Death Eater?! I've only been in my coma for a few hours! Wait, how did I not die?" I walk over and take a seat on the bed as everything suddenly becomes overwhelming. Sirius takes a seat next to me and turns his body to face me. From the look of his face, I know I'm not going to like anything that comes out of his mouth next.

"Briar, what was your grandmother's first name?" I stare at him in confusion before trying to remember my Nana. She passed away when I was five.

"Diana…Why?" He nods his head and starts to explain.

"Narcissa's theory was true then. Briar, your family tree is full of powerful witches and wizards. Your grandmother was one of the strongest and we believe it's because of her magic coursing through your veins that you're alive. There's a reason you can heal and harm whenever your emotions either get away from you or are very strong. Now that you confirmed your lineage, I have a lot to fill you in on, but it's because of Draco's necklace that you're alive." I stare at Sirius in shock. He continues to tell me all about my family history and my magic abilities being tied to my emotions. He explains how Draco's love through my necklace, which apparently feeds off of emotions; is the reason I'm still alive. I tell him about my dream and he says Draco told Molly about it so I was actually in Draco's head which further proves just how strong my magic is. It just makes me miss my dragon more.

He continues to explain my magic and how my emotions tie in for a little while longer before he comes to the next question I had. Now that I know I'm not dead and why, I need to know why Draco became a Death Eater.

"Sirius, how could you let Draco become a Death Eater?! I trusted you to look out for him with Severus," I seethe as a sense of betrayal seeps into my tone. He looks at me uneasily.

"Briar, how long do you think you were in your coma again?"

"A few hours…? Maybe a day or two. Why?" He shifts in his seat and stares me straight in my eyes. I see his lips move, but his words don't register for a few minutes. I stand and stumble to the window again and stare outside to see there's a small amount of light starting to creep into the darkness outside. It's becoming morning time and time won't wait for this conversation.

"Did you just…_How _long have I been in my coma?"

"Two months," he whispers behind me. I turn and stare at him in bewilderment. "Sixth year starts up again in two weeks. You've missed a lot, sweetheart, but we can all catch you up and we will get back on track with the plan when you feel ready." I nod my head and my mind starts to catch up on understanding what exactly he has told me.

"I need to see Draco," I murmur quietly. I see Sirius nod his head and he leaves the room, but leaves the door open. After breathing deeply for a few moments, I find the strength to follow after him. My feet walk me down the familiar steps and I realize I must have been in Sirius' brother's room before. I'm at Headquarters for The Order.

Walking around the corner, I hear voices speaking in the dining hall that I spent Christmas in not too long ago.

_Well, I guess it's a lot longer than I thought it was since I was in a coma for two months. _

Striding towards the voices more confidentially, I find myself standing in the entranceway staring at Severus, Sirius, and Molly all standing in a small circle discussing something heatedly.

"It is not safe for her to see the boy yet. We don't have all of the answers," Snape says as I stare at his back.

"We have as many answers as we need about why Briar is awake! Besides, Draco has been slowly losing hope these past two months, Severus! My weekly letters just seem to make him sad according to Narcissa since there hasn't been anything to tell him since she said his name a month and a half ago. If you don't tell him she woke up, then I certainly will. I refuse to lie to that poor boy," Molly spits back in anger. I guess Narcissa knows I was in a coma and it warms my heart that Molly's sticking up for telling Draco the truth.

"I'm seeing him whether you like it or not," I butt into their conversation. They all turn and I see the shock on Snape's face and happiness on Molly's. Sirius just smirks at me knowing how stubborn I am. "I just woke up after two months. I'm not going another second without seeing him so either tell him to floo over here or I will go to Malfoy Manor and risk being seen. Good luck with your plan if someone finds out I'm not dead," I say haughtily and cross my arms over my chest.

Molly rushes over to me and pulls me into a motherly embrace. I tightly hug her back without hesitation and find myself smiling warmly. She pulls back and frames my face with her hands as she beams at me.

"I'm so glad you're awake, dear. We've all missed you so much. I will go send a message to Draco now?" I quickly nod my head and thank her before she rushes out of the room. I turn my eyes to Severus and find him scowling at Molly's retreating form. I chuckle causing his gaze to focus on me.

"Oh Severus, that scowl is going to be a permanent facial feature if you don't learn to smile," I tease. One side of his lip upturns slightly for a second before settling back on his infamous scowl. I march over to him and pull him into a hug. He stiffens and pats my back before I continue hugging him to signal I wasn't letting go until I got a proper hug. After what I'm sure was the most dramatic eye roll that I can't see, his arms wrap around me in a hug before releasing me. I step back and smile at him warmly.

"It's great to have you back, Ms. Griffin," he asserts with his hands folded behind his back as he strides out of the room. I turn to Sirius and roll my eyes playfully.

"That man is going to die from lack of emotion one of these days," I state causing Sirius to laugh loudly with his head tilted back. I giggle softly before I hear a gasp behind me. I see Sirius' eyes focus on something behind me and he smiles softly at me. Placing a hand on my shoulder briefly as he walks past me, he leaves the room leaving me to turn and face whoever gasped. After what seems like forever, the moment I've waited two months for finally happens. Facing the person in the doorway, green eyes meet shocked blue eyes and a smile spreads across both of our faces.

_Draco. _


	32. Chapter 32

**We've gotten a lot of Draco POV lately so here's another Briar POV. You're welcome! Also, yes, Draco is a little more lovey dovey than his character was in the books and movies, but I believe we all become lovey dovey for the right person. Don't worry, we'll see snob Draco in later chapters when he has to keep up his act. **

**Briar POV **

_Previously…_

_"That man is going to die from lack of emotion one of these days," I state causing Sirius to laugh loudly with his head tilted back. I giggle softly before I hear a gasp behind me. I see Sirius' eyes focus on something behind me and he smiles softly at me. Placing a hand on my shoulder briefly as he walks past me, he leaves the room leaving me to turn and face whoever gasped. After what seems like forever, the moment I've waited two months for finally happens. Facing the person in the doorway, green eyes meet shocked blue eyes and a smile spreads across both of our faces. _

_Draco. _

* * *

Staring at his blue eyes, I can't feel my body's soreness anymore. All I can feel is warmth and the itch to be in his arms.

"Briar," he whispers as he stares at me in disbelief. "Are you actually here? Oh Merlin, please tell me I'm not dreaming again," he mutters mostly to himself and I find myself chuckling at his inner monologue being spoken out loud.

"Draco," I yelp happily. My feet rush towards him and in the blink of an eye, I'm home. His arms wrap around me as I hear his gasp at my body impacting against his.

"You're real! Oh, thank Merlin," he whimpers into my hair as his arms squeeze me to him tighter. My hands wrap tightly around his neck as he lifts me slightly so my toes are barely brushing the ground. His body shudders and I find myself straddling his hips as he sits on the floor. His hands greedily skim every part of my body as if trying to remember everything about me before his hands settle on my cheeks. He gently coaxes my face back so he can stare at me with his tearful yet happy gaze. I'm sure my face looks just as equally tearful yet happy. His thumbs stroke my cheeks and I stare at him to memorize everything about his handsome face. From his blue, watery eyes to his sharp cheekbones, all the way to his smiling lips. Leaning forward, I seal my lips to his for a quick kiss before pulling back. I would've kissed him longer, but I can't stop smiling as I gaze at him.

"I came home, Draco. I promised you I would in the dream and I kept my promise," I whisper as I stare into his eyes. If it's even possible, his smile gets bigger as he pulls me into his embrace and cradles my face into his chest. I find myself curled up on his lap as his entire body cocoons me with warmth.

"Thank you for keeping that promise, my doe. I was going crazy without you," he whispers into my hair. "I know I should be angry at you for what you did, but I'm just so relieved you're alive. I was starting to lose hope that you would wake up," he admits sadly. I look up to see him looking down at me sadly.

"I'm so sorry, my dragon," I sob softly as I caress his cheek with my hand. He closes his eyes and leans into my touch causing me to smile gently. "A part of me knew I wouldn't be coming back and that wasn't fair to you. If I'm ever in that situation again, I will speak to you about it. I shouldn't have kept that from you." His eyes snap open and stares at me passionately as he grasps the hand that was holding his cheek in his. He brings it down to his clothed chest and speaks with an urgent bite to his tone.

"No. You will _never _be in a situation like this ever again. I'm going to protect you just like I promised. I know I can't stop you from doing what you want because you're a stubborn little thing and Merlin knows I love that about you, but you're never going into a situation alone. Never again. I can't go through almost losing you again. Do you feel this?" He places my palm against where his heart is. "This was breaking every day at the thought of you never coming back to me. Do you even understand how devastated I was when I actually thought you were dead and not in a coma? I didn't leave my bed for three days, Briar. _Three,_" he mutters desperately.

"Oh, my dragon…I'm so…" He cuts me off.

"No, please don't apologize. I understand why you did what you did. Merlin knows I would've done the same thing if you were the one in Sirius's place, but please, Briar. _Please_," his voice breaks as he shakes his head. "I can't go through something like this again and not be there with you so we're doing everything together from now on. I'm never letting you fend for yourself ever again. Am I being clear?" I nod my head in understanding and gaze down at his lips that have drawn themselves into a pout. I slide my hand from his chest into his hair and pull his lips down to mine for a quick kiss.

"I understand," I whisper against his lips before leaning in to draw him closer. My fingers tug at his hair causing him to release a groan. I lightly bite his lip teasingly and he growls against my lips before kissing me with more force. His hands grasp my hips and pull me against him so I'm straddling him again, forcing his head to tilt back slightly. His hands grasp at me desperately to pull me closer and find my upper body flush against his as my hands grab his cheeks. I rub my hand back and forth on his cheek in a loving caress and feel his hands slip under the shirt I'm wearing. His warm hands against my skin releases a whimper deep from my chest. He pulls back and rests his forehead against mine. We both try to catch our breath as his hands rub along my sides under my shirt and mine settle on his shoulders.

"I missed you so much," he rasps out as he struggles to catch his breath. I place a lingering kiss on his lips before resting my forehead back against his.

"I missed you too, Dray," I whisper. My hands wander to the back of his head and tugs at his hair slightly. He groans and presses my body closer to his. I can feel his hardness pressed against the inner part of my thigh in excitement.

"Please behave, love. You just woke up and we don't know if your body is fully healed." I can tell it takes all of his self-control to say that, but I've gone two months without his touch. Even if it doesn't lead to anything more, I need him to hold me for as long as I can keep him here.

"Please stay," I murmur. "I know you can't stay long because you have to keep appearances up out in the real world, but please. Stay and hold me. Just for a little while," I beg. He nods his head and kisses my forehead. I smile softly and pull back to look into his eyes. The haunted look I had seen when he first showed up in the doorway is completely gone now.

"We should get you to bed. Your body needs all of the rest you can give it." I roll my eyes.

"Love, I just woke up from a coma. I think I'm very well rested," I say disdainfully at the thought of more sleep. Some part of me would even admit I'm afraid I'll slip back into my coma. He chuckles as my attitude and pulls me in for a quick, but passionate kiss that leaves me breathless.

"Baby, sleep and a coma are two completely different things. Come on, I'll carry you if you want?" I blush and slowly nod my head while looking down at the floor in embarrassment for agreeing to him carrying me. He chuckles and I shiver at the deep rumbling sound of it from deep in his chest.

He lifts me into his arms and makes sure I'm situated before moving towards the room I have been unconscious in for two months. We pass Molly, Sirius, and Severus who are sitting in the small living room smiling or smirking at us, depending on which one you look at, and make our way upstairs. I rest my cheek on his shoulder and gaze up lovingly at his face. He must feel my eyes because he makes eye contact with me before smiling, kissing my forehead, and looking forward again so we don't stumble up the stairs.

Once we make it to the bedroom, he goes to set me on the bed when I stop him.

"Wait! Could I um…" I pause and feel my cheeks warm up. He looks at me in concern and I decide to just ask so I don't concern him unnecessarily. "I want to take a shower and freshen up before going to bed," I whisper as I avoid his face. He places me on my feet and nods his head with a smile. I quickly rush to the bathroom and go about taking a shower, brushing my hair, brushing my teeth, and using the bathroom. Finally done about twenty minutes later, I look around and realize I didn't bring any clothes to change in. Another realization hits me when I realize I probably don't even have clothes here that are mine. Taking a deep breath, I hurry across the hallway and skirt into the bedroom before quietly shutting the door so no one can walk in and see me in just a towel. I hear Draco groan behind me and turn to see him gazing appreciatively at my towel clad body.

"I realized I don't have a change of clothes and I don't want to put on the dirty clothes I had on," I trail off and stare at him, but his eyes are still on my scantily dressed body. He stalks towards me slowly before he's standing in front of me and I take the time to fully appreciate his outfit. He's wearing his favorite pair of black dress pants, a black button-down, and a black t-shirt under the button down. His cologne meets my nose and I groan at the familiar scent.

"Don't groan like that, love, or there won't be any sleeping tonight," he growls playfully. I stare at him bravely and tilt my chin up slightly.

"What if that was my plan all along?" His eyes dilate at he looks down to take in my towel clad body again before leaning forward towards my face again. I close my eyes and wait a few seconds, but don't feel his lips on mine. Curiously, I find him smirking at me and holding out his button-down shirt out to me. Rolling my eyes, I snatch it from him before an idea pops into my head. Before he can turn away, I drop my towel and his eyes widen at the sight of my naked body.

"See something you like, Mr. Malfoy?" He groans and shakes his head. I stare at him in confusion before I realize we've had a very similar conversation like this before.

"No, Ms. Griffin. I see _someone _I love," he whispers as he drinks in the sight of me standing there in nothing. I go to open my mouth to reply when there's a knock on the door. I quickly wrap his shirt around me and start to button up the shirt. Once I finish, I nod to Draco and he goes to open the door to reveal Sirius holding some clothes. He takes in my outfit and chuckles.

"Well, I brought you some clothes, but I take it you both already figured that obstacle out," Sirius teases as he turns to Draco. He freezes and his playful smirk falls before being replaced by a blank stare. I look at him in confusion, but he hands me the clothes with a smile before pulling the door closed behind him as he leaves the room. With the clothes in my hand, I turn to find Draco with his arms crossed and looking down at the floor.

"Draco? What just happened?" He can't meet my eyes. I let out a huff and place the clothes on the night stand before quickly slipping on the panties that came with them, but opted to keep Draco's shirt on instead of changing. It smelled like him.

I sit on the bed and pat next to me to signal I want him to sit next to me. He slowly makes his way towards me and sits across from me, but far enough away that he won't touch me. His eyes hesitantly meet mine before he extends his left forearm. I look down and gasp as I see the Dark Mark on his arm.

Draco really is a Death Eater.


	33. Chapter 33

**Draco POV**

Briar reaches out to grasp my arm and lightly trace her fingers over the dark ink on my forearm. I look down as shame and guilt crawl up the back of my neck. It's so quiet, you can hear the cars driving by outside as if they were right next to you. I nervously glance up and notice Briar has stopped tracing the mark and is now just holding my hand with both of hers. I swallow heavily and run my eyes along her face in trepidation.

"Bry?" My voice doesn't come out as anything other than a hoarse whisper. Her misty eyes meet mine and I see her gulp before opening her mouth.

"Why?" She whispers back. The look on her face crushes me. I've never seen her look so defeated and betrayed and it's all because of something I did.

"Snape thought it would be a good idea. Something about how great of a double spy I was when I was in the Inquisitorial Squad," I tease trying to lighten the mood. She's not amused. If anything, my answer makes her even angrier.

"I'm going to kill, Severus," she growls and stands to walk towards the bedroom door. I hastily stand and grab her hand before she can go on a murderous rampage. I pull her to me as she fights my hold and find myself holding her against my chest as she protests and smacks my chest with her open palms.

"Calm down, love. You're not going to kill him," I say in a soothing voice. "I had a choice in this and I agreed, okay?" She keeps slaps against my chest, but the hits have a lot less conviction behind them. After a few more hits and holding her closer, she finally slumps into my arms in defeat and clutches onto my t-shirt.

"Why would you agree? He'll kill you if you disobey him even _once_, Draco. How reckless can you be?!" I feel my anger flare up at her choice of words even though I can hear the fear in hers.

"I'm the reckless one?" I can feel her tense up in my arms at my raised voice. "You jumped in front of a _killing _curse, Briar! You could be DEAD right now and _I'M_ the reckless one for doing something that could help keep us safe?!" She pulls back and looks at me with a glare before crossing her arms against her chest in defiance. I drop my arms to the side of my body and focus on the look of pure rage in her eyes at my response, but I'm positive my look is equally as angry as hers is.

"I did it to save Sirius! I couldn't let him die!" She glares at me as she defends herself, but it just makes me even more infuriated. I snap at her and spit my response back.

"You dying was a better choice?!" At this point, my throat is raw from yelling. Her eyes snap to mine and she screams back at me.

"ME DYING WOULD BE BETTER THAN YOU BEING A DEATH EATER!" I stare at her in shock and she clasps her hands over her mouth. A tear runs down her face and I scoff in true Malfoy fashion. I feel my anger vibrate through my entire body as she tried to back peddle, but the damage is already done.

"Dray, I'm sorry. I didn't…They killed my parents," She trials off after whispering the last part of her sentence and sniffles as I stare at her with nothing, but a blank stare on my face. I chuckle humorlessly and can feel the beginnings of a stirring in my arm meaning I'm being summoned for a meeting.

"Now I'm just another Death Eater then, huh? Well, this Death Eater is being summoned so if you'll excuse me," I say emotionlessly. I brush past her and open the door to the bedroom as I feel her hand on my arm halting my movements.

"We need to talk about this, Draco. I can't let you leave like this. Please," she pleads with me desperately. I can't look at her because I know it will break my resolve to leave and I can't be late for a meeting. It could put both of us in danger.

"There's nothing to say. Besides, if you're lucky, I'll be late to the meeting and he'll kill me so you don't have to be with a Death Eater anymore," I sneer and rip my arm from her grasp. I hear her gasp behind me, but I don't pay any attention to it or her soft cries that are slowly piercing my heart as I make my way down the stairs.

**_Draco, please come back. _**

I ignore her pleas in my head and push her out of my head as I pass the concerned looks of the three standing in the living room having heard our screams. I barely glance at them as I answer their unspoken question.

"I've been summoned," I growl and I hear Snape confirm he has been too from behind me. I don't even hear his footsteps until we reach the fireplace that we will floo out of when he pulls me to an abrupt stop by yanking my arm back.

"Your relationship is between you and Ms. Griffin, but if you don't wipe that anger off your face then the Dark Lord will get suspicious and try to penetrate your mind. You may be strong, but we're not going to test if you're stronger than the Dark Lord's mind tricks. Do you understand?" I look at him and feel myself deflate. I nod my head and plaster my signature Malfoy smirk on my face. He nods to confirm that's better and we both floo together to Malfoy Manor. Stepping out of the fireplace, I'm met with the Dark Lord as well as my mother and Aunt.

_This can't be good. _

"Ah, young Draco. I have a task for you," the Dark Lord says as his snake like eyes stare into my soul. I nod my head and walk closer with Snape by my side.

"Whatever you need, my Lord," I say and try not to throw up as the words leave my mouth from disgust and fear.

"You will kill Dumbledore for me." I wait a moment to pull myself together, but find myself blanching as I look at him.

"Dumbledore?" The Dark Lord looks at me in annoyance before I shake my head to clear it. "My apologies, my Lord. I will complete the task to the best of my ability," I say as I raise my head and hold his gaze. He nods his head once before looking to Snape.

"Severus, I trust you can assist Mr. Malfoy should he need assistance?"

"My Lord," Snape replies in agreement. The Dark Lord nods his head once, gazes at me again, and apparates, but I can't relax yet with my Aunt here. She smirks at me and I suddenly get a very uneasy feeling. My eyes fall to my mother who looks as equally uncomfortable.

"Your Aunt will be staying the night," my mother says with her eyes locked on mine. I nod and turn to glance at my Aunt again. That damn smirk is still there.

"What do you think of the task, Draco?" Her dark eyes stare into my soul and I hold back a growl.

"It is an honor, Aunt Bella," I say very simply as if I believe anything I'm saying. A satisfied smile stretches across her face.

"Good. I was pleased he took my advice to have you do it then," she says as I stare at her in shock. She doesn't even pay attention to me as she grabs my mother's arm to pull her towards another room in the house. "Come, Cissy. I want some food," she cackles and I see my mother glance back at me sadly before going willingly with my Aunt. Now that they're gone, I whip around and start to walk back towards the fireplace so I can return to Briar. She was right to try and keep me from coming here, but Snape's hand around my arm stops me.

"You must stay here for the night now that your Aunt is here. I hope you didn't damage things too much with Ms. Griffin since you may have to stay here a few days," Snape drawls uncomfortably. I nod my head sadly and look him in the eyes.

"I hope so too," I whisper painfully as my throat still hurts from screaming earlier.

* * *

Screaming. That's the first thing I hear when I wake up in my bed in Malfoy Manor. I glance at the clock and see it's 5 in the morning.

_I've only been asleep for an hour._

Keeping my breathing steady, I listen carefully and am about to lay back down when I hear faint yelling downstairs. I'm not prepared for my necklace to be warm against my chest and I'm also not prepared for Briar's voice to reach out to me.

_**Please, Draco. I know you're mad, but PLEASE!** _I sit up frantically when I hear the fear in her voice. Throwing my covers off of my body to reveal my black t-shirt and black sweatpants, I start to run towards my bedroom door hoping my thoughts aren't on the right track. Racing downstairs, I hear voices arguing in my father's study. As I get closer, I realize it's my mother and Aunt, but there's someone gasping for air as well.

_Merlin, no!_

I shove the door open and my mother and Aunt turn to look at me. My Aunt lowers her wand and cackles as she sees me, but the defeat and sadness in my mother's eyes nearly takes the air from my lungs.

"Come for the show, Draco?" My head whips to my Aunt Bellatrix who steps to the side and I see someone slumped on the ground as they gasp for air. Their entire body shakes in exertion as they press their hand to a wound on their stomach that is bleeding profusely. I can't contain the gasp falling from my lips when the person raises their head and stares at me in pain.

The girl pants lightly and I can tell it takes a lot of effort to keep her head up, but I can see her bleeding is slowing down. She's healing herself from whatever my Aunt Bellatrix was doing to her.

**_Briar. _**

Her head gives into her body's weakness and her head drops to look down at the floor, but I saw a small smile grace her lips for a moment as she stares at the floor. What I can't shake is the fear that was in her eyes and the bloodlust in my Aunt's eyes.

She didn't think I would come for her.

**A/N Yes, I'm sorry! Draco and Briar had their first fight because they ARE emotional teenagers after all. How do you think Briar ended up in the Manor?! Next chapter is already done, but I want to hear your opinions! Until next time, my loves!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Two reviews means it's double chapter Thursday! Here is the first one of the day and the second is already uploaded as we speak so have fun reading! This chapter was kind of fun to write so hopefully you enjoy it **

**Briar POV**

My chest is tight as I watch Draco walk out of the room after hearing him basically accuse me of wanting him dead instead of being a Death Eater. Ever since finding out my parents were killed by a Death Eater; my biggest fear has been Draco becoming one. Deep down I know he probably thinks it will protect us by him being on the inside, but he's putting himself in danger.

**_Draco, please come back._**

Before I can even try to send him another message mentally, I can't feel him anymore. He has shut me out of his mind. This thought makes me sob harder and I find myself crumpled on the floor in his button down. How did everything change so quickly? I _just _got him back and I've pushed him away already. I need to fix this, but now I can't get in contact with him.

Saving Sirius was the only thing in my mind when I jumped in front of him in the moment, but in my coma, I came to the realization that I wasn't just saving him because he had become a father figure to me. He is Harry's godfather and a member of The Order. Harry has lost his family just like I have and the thought of not protecting his remaining family kills me. I don't have any family. I'm an orphan and I was only ever close with my parents and grandmother. They're all dead now. The only family I have left is…

"Draco," I whisper out loud as my eyes widen at that thought. Draco truly is the only family I have left. Don't get me wrong, I adore my friends and the Weasleys who have taken me in as their own, but the only person left alive that has seen me truly vulnerable is Draco. Yes, I've been vulnerable with Molly and even Sirius once or twice, but the only person I truly trust wholeheartedly is Draco. I spent hours speaking to him about my parents and their deaths in the Room of Requirement. We gave ourselves to each other hours before I was blasted into my coma by Bellatrix. He's the one death I would never be able to recover from…And I just threw in his face that I would rather die than him be a Death Eater.

Crawling to my bed, I curl up and sob until my throat is raw. The only thought I can focus on is how sorry I am for what I said to Draco, especially after he tried to calm me down. It isn't easy for him to show his soft side and I just threw my "death" in his face. I'm truly the worst girlfriend and person in the entire world.

"Briar, dear?" I turn and see Molly looking at me sympathetically. "Oh sweetheart, scoot over," she says as she sits on the bed. I scoot closer to her and find my head on her lap as she brushes hair off of my forehead. She shushes me and I try to breath deep breaths to calm down, but it just makes it worse. I sob for a few more minutes before the soothing touch of her fingers on my forehead finally calms me down. My sobs have softened to intermittent sniffles and my tears have stopped streaking down my face.

"I think I've lost him, Molly," I confess softly as I sniffle again. I explain what happened from Sirius interrupting all the way to Draco storming out and she stays silent the entire time listening to what I have to say. "I was just so mad because Death Eaters killed my parents…I spoke without thinking and I lashed out. He wouldn't let me explain because he had to go to a meeting and he left saying…" I pause as my chest tightens as I think of the last thing he said before leaving.

"What did he say, love?" I sniffle again.

"There's nothing to say. Besides, if you're lucky, I'll be late to the meeting and he'll kill me so you don't have to be with a Death Eater anymore," I reiterate word for word. "I didn't go after him. I tried to reach out to him mentally, but he shut me out," I admit with shame. Molly is silent for a few more minutes before starting to explain her thoughts to me.

"Love, everyone has fights in relationships. He was hurt so he said something hurtful back to deflect from his own pain. We both know how his upbringing makes it hard for him to be vulnerable and what you said really hurt him," she murmurs. I let out a sob at how his face fell into an emotionless mask when I yelled I would rather be dead than have him be a Death Eater. Her fingers brush my hair a little harder in a comforting way.

"I know. I was angry and being irrational. That was our first fight, Molly. What if I pushed him away for good?" The thought has my throat closing in fear. Now that I know I consider him to be my family, the fear that I could have lost him so soon to realizing that has me sobbing again.

"I don't think that's possible. Like I said, while this may hurt now and you're both not together to talk it out; I don't think he would walk away because of one fight. He stuck around while you were in a coma for two months. Do you really think one fight is going to make him run from you?" I know what she's saying makes sense so I try my hardest to gather myself up to think logically about what she is saying. I shake my head to indicate I don't think he would walk away that easily.

"You're probably right. I'm sorry for being so dramatic," I whisper. She chuckles.

"Sweetheart, you're not being dramatic. You're young and so is Draco. Both of you felt hurt from the fight and both of your feelings are completely valid. Give it some time and then try to mend it. Although, after getting to know how Draco's mind works the two days he refused to leave your room; I don't think you'll have to wait much longer for him to come to you," she states and I can feel a smile stretch across my face. She's right. I sit up and turn so I can look her in the eyes.

"Thank you, Molly. Thank you for listening," I say as I feel motherly love towards her embrace my entire body. She smiles at me and opens her arms for me to fall into. Without hesitation, I find myself surrounded by unconditional love of a mother for the first time since my mother was murdered. The moment, unfortunately, is broken when there is a knock on the door. Pulling back, I see Sirius standing by the door with a small, hesitant smile on his face with a note in his hand.

"This came for you through the Floo. It came from Malfoy Manor," he states. I spring out of bed and grab the note in my hands while ignoring the quiet chuckles from both Molly and Sirius.

_BG_

_We should talk. Meet me in my father's office._

_DM _

While the note seems cold, I'm just excited that he reached out. I quickly pull on the pants that Sirius left for me before and see the clock reads 4:40. Racing past Sirius and Molly with a quick "I'm going to see Draco," I barely even notice that I forgot shoes. Clad in Draco's button up and a black pair of stretch pants, I clutch the note in my hand as I grab some Floo powder.

"Malfoy Manor," I state clearly with a little bit of giddiness in my voice. Seeing the flames die down, I step out of the fireplace to a quiet Manor. Tip toeing soundlessly to Lucius' office, I notice my Animagus starting to crawl under my skin. While confused, I shake my head and chalk it up to my nerves of seeing Draco after our fight.

Quickly making my way to the door, I open it slightly and slip into the crack of the door quietly. Carefully, I close the door with a soft _click _before a smile graces my lips as I hear movement behind me. However, the voice I hear is not the one I expected.

"I knew you weren't dead," the voice says. I whip around to stare straight at the woman that almost killed me. Bellatrix Lestrange. I stare at her blankly and feel the side of my thigh for the concealed harness I have on me at all times that carries my wand. My hand settles against my wand and relief fills my face. I draw it and point it at her in a duel stance.

"What…? How…?" She cackles in my face and points to the letter in my hand. My eyes widen in shock and fear thinking she knows where I've been hiding all this time.

"I overheard a little birdy say a certain Ms. Griffin was angry at poor Draco. I took a chance and sent that letter to the floo's last location in hopes it would find you. Imagine my shock when you're supposed to be dead and Draco was grieving for you?" I don't give her the satisfaction of an answer and I just stand there as she paces the floor. The Order is still safe, but I may not be.

**_Draco, please answer me! I need your help!_**

Her eyes lock on mine and I feel like her prey. I wait for Draco's answer, but he doesn't answer. My Animagus stirs in my body as it tries to get me to leave immediate danger. Once it realizes I'm staying and ready to fight, I can feel my magic starting to rush towards my wand to give it more power. I focus on my breathing like Snape said to and soon, Bellatrix is flying towards the back of the room with a loud _crash! _as she lands against the wall where glass trophies had been. Shards fall around her body as she falls to the floor in a heap.

My body stops breathing as I see her unconscious body start to stir off the floor. She turns her head towards me and her eyes hold pure hatred and insanity behind them. My back straightens and I see her rush towards me with her wand raised. Before I can counter her attack, I find myself being thrown forward through the air and to the floor where I land with a _thud_by the fireplace. With a groan, I go to stand up and see her blocking the door to the study so I can't get past her without incapacitating her.

**_My dragon, please! I'm in your father's study! _**

"What's wrong, Bella? Scared of a teenager?" I know taunting her isn't the best tactic, but I need to try and throw her off guard if I want to win this fight. She sneers at me and starts to wave her wand in my direction before I direct my wand and power towards her. She crashes against the door behind her like a rag doll. She laughs.

"You're more fun that your parents were," she gloats. With a look of shock, I stare at her face and feel my anger rising as I lower my wand. Now she's just being held to the door by my emotional magic.

"Who do you think helped Lucius kill them? There was two of them after all," she says carelessly like I didn't have her trapped against the door. I feel my magic pulse in anger and watch her get slammed against the door again.

"What did you do?" I growl in anger. She cackles and smirks at me.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" I'm sucked into her memory as she lets her mind release control to me.

**"Why don't we have some fun?" I turn to see Bellatrix standing next to Lucius Malfoy in front of two people in the very study I'm standing in now. The two of them have bags over their heads to keep them in the dark about where they are. **

**"I agree, Bella," Lucius drawls in excitement. I see her skip over to the two hooded figures and rip the bags off of their heads. **

**"Lucius, what are you doing?" I stare at the apprehensive eyes of my mother as she stares Lucius down. I see my father shift closer to my mother in a protective stance. **

**"You were snooping around, Helena. It's only fair that I bring you and Ben here for some answers. How long have you known your mother was Diana Denali?" I gasp in shock and watch the scene change. My parents are facing each other bloodied and bruised with their wands facing each other. I can see the tears running down their faces as they apologize profusely. They're under the Imperious Curse.**

**"Lucius, I'm bored. Let's just end it," Bellatrix whines. I watch my parents use the killing curse on each other and that rips me from the memory. **

"NOOOOO!" I scream at the top of my lungs. Raising my wand at Bellatrix, I realize she showed me the memory to distract me as she was able to walk closer to me when my emotional magic was distracted by the memory she showed me.

"Crucio!" The pain hits me before I can counter the curse and a scream rips from my throat at the top of my lungs. It feels like knives are slicing me all over my body as well as a hot branding iron being pushed against my stomach, arms, and legs. After a few minutes of her torture, it stops. I glare at Bellatrix and catch my breath before going to take a step towards her on wobbly legs.

Just as the office door opens behind her to reveal Narcissa, my relief is cut short as I gasp at the sharp pain that blooms at my stomach. Looking down, I see a long cut in the front of Draco's button down. My blood seeps through. I look up in shock and clasp my hands over the deep laceration and fall to me knees in pain. Hunching over, I groan and can hear Narcissa yelling harshly to her sister.

"What do you think you're doing, Bella?!" Narcissa's tone is ice cold and would've caused me to shiver if I wasn't already shaking from exertion. I focus my breathing and can feel my wound starting to heal itself, but it's so deep that I know it will take a while. Whimpering, I reach out to Draco again and try to pour all of my fear into the message.

**_Please, Draco. I know you're mad, but PLEASE!_**

"I'm just having some fun, Narcissa," Bellatrix says nastily back. I lift my head to see they're both staring at me. Bellatrix in anger and with a smug smirk on her face while Narcissa looks at me with anger for her sister and sadness for the position I'm in. I look away and stare at the floor because I can't stand to see their faces right now.

"You heard Draco. She's family," Narcissa growls out. "If you kill her, he'll…" I hear Bellatrix cackle in response.

"He'll what? Kill his Aunt for an insignificant little girl?" I feel a tear run down my face at her words at the thought of just being an insignificant girl to Draco. I focus on my stomach and block out their arguing and grimace when I feel the deep cut over and over again as it starts to heal.

"Come for the show, Draco?" My heart beats a little faster in relief that he actually came, but I focus on gasping for air as I focus on healing. I can feel my body shaking in exertion as I press my hand to my stomach that is bleeding profusely still. It is definitely slowing down, but I'm starting to get light headed from the blood loss. I risk a glance up and meet his eyes as he lets out a gasp when he realizes it's me on the floor. I pant lightly from the energy it took to raise my head and continue to stare into his worried eyes.

**_Briar. _**

Just hearing his voice in my head gives me joy. Dropping my head down to the floor when I can't hold it up anymore, I find myself smiling slightly from hearing his voice finally. He had opened our mental connection again.

The real question now was if we would get out of this study alive.


	35. Chapter 35

**You guys are amazing as usual! Here is the second chapter of the day! I apologize it's late at night, but man is this quarantine messing with my sleep schedule! Without further ado, here is your second chapter, kiddos. Enjoy :) **

**Draco POV **

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Aunt Bella?" I can feel anger coursing through my entire body. Seeing Briar bleeding on the floor has my body strung as tight as a bow string. I see my aunt roll her eyes.

"I'm having fun, Draco. Besides, you don't seem that surprised to see your allegedly dead girlfriend over there on the floor? Did you know she was alive?" She smirks at me and I can feel she already knows the answer.

"The real question is what she's doing on the floor bleeding," I growl. I can see my mother smirk at my protectiveness, but I can tell she's wary of what Aunt Bellatrix would do with the information of Briar still being alive.

"Like I said, nephew. I'm having…" I whip my wand out and before she can finish her sentence, she's against the wall gasping for air. I stalk towards her so I'm only a few steps away from her smirk.

"You think torturing a teenage girl is fun? Maybe I'll have some fun and show you those tricks my father showed me," I sneer lowly in her face. Her eyes widen in intrigue and my stomach turns at the thought that she's _excited_about someone torturing her. A hand on my shoulder stops me.

"Draco, I will take care of her. Briar needs you right now," my mother says softly from behind me. I stare at my aunt with hatred in my eyes and contemplate not listening to my mother. Surely torturing her with a hex for a few moments wouldn't be enough of a punishment for what she put Briar through, but…My mother squeezes my shoulder in warning and I sigh in annoyance before lowering my wand. Aunt Bella falls to the ground and cackles as she stands up in front of me.

"I knew you didn't have it in you," she taunts, but is stopped when my mother's fist hits her in the face. She's out cold. I stare at my mother in shock and pride as she glares at her sister's unconscious body before meeting my eyes.

"She always did talk too much," my mother teases to me. I chuckle before both of our heads snap to Briar when she lets out a quiet whimper of pain snapping us back to where we are and why. I rush over to her while my mother leans down in front of her sister. Crouching in front of her, I see the bleeding is slowing down, but it's very easy to see how much blood she has lost and how drained she is. After all, I'm now kneeling in her blood.

Pushing that thought out of my head, I stare at her ashen face and push back a piece of hair that has fallen in front of her forehead. Her weary eyes meet mine and I can tell she's apprehensive about where we stand since it's only been a few hours since our fight.

_Our first fight_, I think with a grimace.

"Hey," I whisper and see her lips turn up slightly in a small smile before falling again. She drops her head to the ground again and I see her slowly pull her hand from her stomach to examine the wound. To my relief, it's not bleeding anymore and I can see the skin starting to pull together to create a long, jagged scar with her new, pink, shiny skin. Within the next few minutes, that scar should be gone, but she'll be left with the trauma. My stomach sinks as I realize she either didn't have the energy to answer me back before, or she didn't want to. I find myself silently hoping it's the first one.

Both of our heads snap to the side when we hear the fireplace let out a _whoosh,_indicating someone had just used the floo system. Seeing only my mother, Briar slumps to the ground again and falls onto her bum and pulls her knees to her chest in a protective stance. Focusing on my mother for a moment, I see my aunt is gone.

"Where is she?" I snap my eyes around the room and scoot closer to Briar protectively who is staring at the floor with unseeing eyes.

"I wiped her mind and flooed her to her place. She won't remember this at all, but she'll have a bruise to remember me by," she says smirking. I let out a tiny chuckle, but the laughter dies on my lips when I see my mother look to Briar in concern. Turning my head, I see she still hasn't moved and is sitting in a pool of her own blood. The same blood that is seeping through my pajama pants. My face flushes slightly as I finally realize I'm only in those sleep pants and nothing else, but then I remember there's nothing to be embarrassed by. I think back to the night in Briar's room and feel a small smile grace my lips and, to my relief, I see Briar's lips tug up at the edges at our shared memory.

"Sweetheart, we should get her upstairs and cleaned up. She can stay in your room tonight and then we'll come up with a plan later on. I'll take care of filling Severus in," my mother says while staring at Briar. My heart clenches as I realize the small smile had already fallen from her lips and now she was staring at nothing. Her eyes were wide and empty.

"Briar?" She doesn't even flinch at my voice or move. I turn my eyes to my mother in concern.

"Maybe try the connection?" She suggests. I nod my head and focus on Briar again and try to reach into her mind. What scares me is it's so easy to slip into her mind. She doesn't have any protective walls up which shows how drained she is. She's completely vulnerable.

**_My doe, come with me and we can get you cleaned up, okay? _**Staring at her empty eyes, I feel myself slip further into her brain and see why she's unresponsive. I watch the flashes of images and find myself retreating from her mind in horror with a gasp.

"Draco?" My mother takes a step forward when I sit straight up with my back straight as a rod. I shake my head and she stops moving. My eyes flash to her and she widens her eyes in shock.

"She helped kill them," I growl out. My mother looks at me in confusion. "Your sister helped father kill Briar's parents and she _showed _Briar the memory. It's playing on replay in her mind right now," I sneer in disgust. My mother moves her shocked eyes to Briar and I see her eyes soften in sadness.

"Oh, the poor dear," she whispers. I close my eyes in anger and roll my shoulders back to stop my body from shuddering in anger.

"I'll kill her," I breathe out. I snap my eyes open and stare at my mother in hatred. Hatred for my aunt hurting Briar. Hatred for my aunt being a happy participant in Briar's parents' murder. Hatred for fighting with Briar over something I knew in my subconscious that she would be upset about. Hatred at myself for not being able to protect her. This is all my fault.

Just as I'm about to fall deep into my mind with self-hatred, I can hear her softly in my mind. Her voice is weak and when I turn my eyes to look at her, she hasn't moved. She's like a statue.

**_Dray. _**

Hearing her broken voice whimper my name into my mind snaps me out of my anger. With new resolve, I lean forward and scoop her into my arms bridal style and start to stand. I can feel her blood smear all over my bare chest as her body huddles to mine. The second I touch her, I can feel the tremors running through her body and see the first tear run down her pale face as she stares into space. I look to my mother in panic when I realize how cold she is. My mother nods her head at me. With the wave of her wand, she cleans the blood off of the floor and my feet before she shoos me to take Briar to my room, both of our bodies still slick in her blood.

"Go clean up and get some rest. The warm water in the shower should help her shock. We will work this out later. We're going to be okay, Draco," my mother whispers urgently to me as her remorseful eyes refuse to leave Briar's trembling form. Turning, I briskly walk towards my room and trudge up the same stairs I ran down not that long ago to get to Briar.

Walking into the bathroom attached to my bedroom, I sit her on the bench in the corner of the shower before I start to take off her stretch pants. Peeling them from her legs, I focus in on my ruined button down shirt that is drenched in her blood and has a huge slash where my aunt sliced her stomach. Unbuttoning all of the buttons, I slide my button down off of her shoulders and am relieved to see her start to move as I summon a house elf. The house elf behind me takes her clothes and my pajama bottoms leaving both of us sans clothing. With a snap of the elves' fingers, the blood on the floor from the clothes are gone as well as the soiled garments themselves.

Turning to face Briar again, I see the reason she moved. She has drawn her legs up into her chest slightly and has covered her breasts with her folded arms. She's hiding. Forcing myself to not focus on that, I can feel her blood drying on my chest so I turn my attention to turning on the shower. Once I make sure the water is warm enough, I quickly go about rinsing her blood from my body. Finishing my own cleaning, I turn to Briar and see her still curled up on the bench. I kneel down in front of her and feel the spray of the shower water hitting my back lightly. I gently pry her arms away from her chest and grasp her hands in both of mine before focusing my gaze on our clasped hands to give me strength.

"Bry, I know we have a lot to talk about, but I'm really worried about you. I need you to let me in, love. Don't shut me out," I whisper as my voice quivers slightly in unease. "Please, my doe?" I glance up and see her eyes are staring straight at me and tears are streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry about your shirt," she sobs softly as her body starts shaking harder.

"Hey, no, come here," I whisper as I quickly slide her off of the white, marble bench. I turn so she's sitting between my knees as I lean my back against the bench. Her sobs wrack through her body as my arms rubs up and down her arms soothingly as I shush her. My mind barely registers that our naked bodies are pressed together because all I can focus on is how cold she still is.

"You don't have anything to apologize for, baby girl. I have dozens just like it," I urge her quietly. The water sprays down on her and I can see the swirls of red vanish into the drain. Her entire body is shaking violently as she cries and her body comes out of her shock. All I can do is hold her and quietly speak to her as she apologies profusely and the warm water slowly calms her shaking.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I…" I shush her and cradle her head to my chest. Her body is almost completely clean now that the water was spraying on her stomach. All that was left was her hands. I gently take her hands in mine and she turns her head to look into my eyes. I smile gently at her red rimmed eyes and press a kiss to her forehead.

"You're alright. Breathe, okay? Let's clean your hands and then we can go to bed. Is that okay?" She weakly nods her head as tears continue to slide down her face. She won't look away from my face which causes me to smile again. I'm just glad she has returned to me mentally.

I lean her hands into the stream and I'm lost in the sight of her blood running through my fingers. I lightly scrub her hands with my fingers to get in the corners of her fingernails and soon, there is no trace of blood on her body. With her hands clasping in mine still, I turn to see she's still staring at my face, but thankfully, her tears have stopped.

"Thank you," she whimpers softly. I give her a quick smile and bring her hands up to my lips to place a kiss on her knuckles. I shake my head and press yet another kiss to her forehead before pulling back to look into her emerald green eyes. My heart clenches at how sad her eyes look.

"Can you stand up? I just have to turn off the water and then we can go to bed. You look like you need some sleep." She nods her head, but I release one of her hands and wrap my arm protectively around her waist as I start to stand. She follows my lead and I'm grateful for my arm around her waist as her wobbly legs cause her to lean heavily on me. I release her hand for a moment and successfully turn off the shower before returning my hand to hers. Slowly, I make our way to in front of the mirror where the towels are stowed away in the cabinet. Placing her hands on the counter, I tell her to hold on tight so I can get the towels and she nods at me. Her eyes never leave my face still.

Grabbing a towel, I wrap it around my waist and secure it before bringing Briar a towel. Wrapping it around her body and under her armpits, I secure it over her chest before wrapping my arm around her hip again. She leans heavily into me again and I start to worry that walking with hurt her energy levels more. Leaning down, I scoop her into my arms bridal style again and her arms quickly fold around my neck to hold her to me. Nuzzling her nose into my neck, she finally focuses on something other than my face.

Crossing the threshold, I place her gently on the bed and lean down to give her a kiss on the cheek before going to my closet that holds my night clothes. Dropping my towel, I quickly done the first pajama pants I find which happen to be a light green pair. Something catches my eye and I release a small smile before grabbing it. Holding it up in triumph, I hold it up to Briar and smile.

"See? Dozens like it," I say reassuringly. In my hand, I have a black button down shirt much like the one my aunt ruined. I see the beginnings of a genuine smile on Briar's face and it makes me grin. Walking towards her, I place the button down on the bed and quickly slide a pair of boxer briefs over her legs and up her hips that I grabbed from my closet. Once they're secure around her hips, I drape the shirt over her shoulders and button all of the buttons except for the top two so it's not constricting around her neck.

Before long, I've tucked her under the covers and my body sinks into the mattress next to her in comfort. The second I get settled, she quickly scoots to my side and her face hides in my neck as she breathes my scent in. My arms wrap around her affectionately and I place a kiss on the crown of her head. I keep my eyes wide open and wake until I hear her breathing even out before I close my eyes and succumb to sleep.

**A/N Oooohhh we saw angry AND protective Draco! Lemme go get a fan! Lol I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did ;) **


	36. Chapter 36

**Sorry for the delay, my loves! There was a Harry Potter marathon on and then a Twilight marathon so needless to say, I was not near my laptop all weekend to edit. ALSO, you guys left EIGHT reviews?! You're all truly amazing! You definitely deserve these eight chapters! Enjoy and buckle up as I'll be releasing two chapters a day for the next few days so I don't overwhelm you all ;) **

**Draco POV**

Waking up, I stretch and my fingertips fall on cold sheets on the other side of the bed. My eyes open up in panic when I don't feel Briar next to me before I feel weight at the end of the bed. Turning my head to my right, I see her sitting at the edge with her legs curled up under her as she reads the letters I got from Molly. I can't see her face, but I can hear her giggles at some parts of the letter where Molly detailed her day to day life to try and get me to laugh at the hilarity that is the Weasley kids.

"Good morning," I whisper. I see her shoulder tense a little as she turns her head to look at me over her shoulder. She gives me a small smile before she stands to place the pile of letters on my desk before taking a seat back at the end of the bed to face me. Her eyes are stuck on her hands. I watch her play with her fingers nervously and realize I don't know if she's still mad at me for being a Death Eater or not. I couldn't exactly run it by her when she was in a coma, but I'm not ignorant enough to think she was going to be happy about my being one when…_if_…she woke up.

Taking a deep breath, I sit up more and push my body back so my shoulders are pressed against the wall behind my bed. I see her eyes flicker up to mine before flitting back to her hands. I can feel myself getting frustrated by her silence, but I try to push it down knowing how hard it was to hear about my aunt having a part in her parent's murder. I wait for her to say something first. I watch her shoulders rise a few times to say something before she chooses to stay quiet at the last second. This goes on another three times before her mouth opens and she starts to speak.

"I can't say I'm not mad at you because I'm still _furious _you became a Death Eater," she breathes," but I get that you think it will keep us safe so I'll support your decision to be one. I just don't want to lose you to _him_." My ears perk up as she keeps talking and I have to stop myself from interrupting, sensing she isn't done yet. "While I was training, Snape told me all about how easy it is to lose yourself when you're fearful of your life. He _showed _me what he had to do to get the Dark Lord to trust him…" She trails off and I think of my task given to me by the Dark Lord.

"Bry…" I trail off and her eyes meet mine finally. I see her eyebrows crease slightly at my tone until her eyes widen.

"He already gave you a task, didn't he?" I nod my head dejectedly.

"Snape has been assigned to me to help if I need assistance in…executing the task," I say thinking about how accurate that word describes the entire situation. I watch her eyes narrow slightly when I don't immediately give her answers. I gulp in nervousness at her look.

"What is it?" I stay silent and run my fingers through my hair in frustration while looking anywhere, but her. She scoffs causing me to glance back to her eyes that are now _very _angry. "What? You're just going to lie to my face and keep me in the dark about your tasks for Voldemort?" My eyes widen at her use of the name.

"Don't say…" She cuts me off and stands abruptly so she can pace the floor while growling at me.

"I don't fear him _or_his name, Draco! Don't you get it?! I'm not scared of him because Snape trained me to fight him! _My _task is to kill him with Harry so don't tell me not to say that son of a bitch's name. All I care about is you and you're going to lie to me instead of keeping me in the loop? Is that really your game plan because I can tell you right now, that's _really_ not going to work for me." She stands still and glares at me as her last words are almost a growl.

I let the new information sink in that she has a task to fight the Dark Lord with Potter. The first thing I feel is jealousy, but just as quickly as I feel that, I feel pure, unfiltered fear. The Dark Lord is the most powerful dark wizard there is and Briar and Potter are going to fight him and hopefully kill him? I know Snape has been training Briar, but he thinks she is powerful enough to vanquish the Dark Lord? I make a mental note to speak to him the next time I see him which will be a little later before moving to her next point.

What is my game plan? I was assigned to kill Dumbledore who is much more powerful than me. Even with Snape's help, I have no clue how to even begin to brainstorm his demise. Especially because I don't _want _to kill him. Maybe I can get someone else to do it, but in a way that leads back to me so my hands stay relatively clean? Storing that away to solve later, I come to the most important question and thought I had since Briar finished speaking.

Who gave her that task? Without even knowing it, my eyes had fallen to my hands that were clasped together in a tight grip. Releasing my hands from their death grip on each other, I look up and see Briar has sat down at the end of the bed again with her back to me and her head in her hands. My throat constricts when I see her shoulders shake and hear her sniffle. I can't lie to her about my task.

_**Come here.** _At my mental request, she turns to face me, but stays at the end of the bed. She won't look me in the eyes.

"Who gave you that task, Briar?" She sniffles and still refuses to meet my eyes. She wipes a tear from her cheek before answering.

"Dumbledore. Second year," she whispers. "I told you about what happened with Ginny in the Chamber of Secrets. He thought that as a seer, I could help Harry defeat Voldemort by watching his movements. As I got older and strong, I developed more abilities which reinforced my usefulness to Harry," she finishes as her voice gives off a somewhat bitter tone towards the end about her "usefulness" as she put it. My hand runs through my hair harshly in frustration. The man that gave her a task is now my task.

"I have to kill Dumbledore," I breathe out barely above a whisper. I would think she didn't heard me if I couldn't see her face morph into disgust and horror. I look down unable to look her in the eyes. We're both silent as we let that information seep in before I feel the bed moving as she shifts a little closer to me. She has only moved a few inches forward, but I can see the determination on her face and I can't tell if that's a good or bad thing.

"No," she says. I look up in shock and am about to tell her I have to or the Dark Lord will kill me, but she holds her hand up to stop me. "You don't have to kill Dumbledore." She pauses a few seconds and I take the opportunity to butt in.

"I have to. I know you're not happy about the task and neither am I, but if he finds out I didn't follow his task…" She cuts me off with her hand now back in her lap.

"No, you don't have to kill Dumbledore," she repeats and I just stare at her dumbfounded and frustrated that she doesn't seem to understand that I have no say in this. Her saying I don't have to kill him doesn't change the fact that I need to in order to protect the both of us.

"There's no way to go against him, Briar! I have to kill him!" I stare at her defiantly, daring her to tell me I have a choice in this at all. She shakes her head no and places her hand on my quilt covered leg closest to her.

"_We _have to kill Dumbledore," she states in a whispered voice. Finally, the sentence she just uttered reaches my brain. Shaking my head to clear the fog of confusion that just set in, I meet her eyes with my mouth slightly ajar.

"WHAT?!"


	37. Chapter 37

**This chapter is dedicated to my reader who commented and said they like hearing from Briar's point of view! I hope you enjoy it, love! Also, WARNING for some not so innocent content hehe ;) This is basically just a chapter of them making up so if you don't want to read it then you can absolutely skip to the next chapter! We get to see what Snape thinks of everything in the next chapter. **

**Briar POV**

It's like his words are echoing in my mind over and over again. He has to kill Dumbledore. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense to me. Voldemort feels threatened by Dumbledore and Harry. Those are the only two that seem to matter to him and since Harry has gotten close to Dumbledore, it makes sense that he wants to cut out an authority figure out of Harry's life who has helped him grow and get stronger.

After I said Draco and I have to kill Dumbledore together, the words just seem to come naturally to me. While I don't like him having to do this for his task, I understand how important it is that we keep his image intact with the Dark Lord if we're going to defeat him. What I didn't tell Draco is that, for my task, I'm not the one who has to kill the Dark Lord. Harry is a horcrux, according to Dumbledore, so my main task is to distract the Dark Lord and make sure I protect Harry. I had essentially become his protector until I could get close enough to the Dark Lord to do some damage while Harry is dead. I know he'll have to die, but there will most likely be time between him waking up and Voldemort trying to kill others. That's when I'll fight Voldemort and hope to buy Harry time.

"While I don't like the task, you're not in this alone. However, if you ever keep something from me again, or even think about it, I can't be with you. No matter how much it hurts me, we need to be a team, Draco. That means telling each other everything and making sure the other has all of the information they need to protect themselves." I look at him and he stares at me in shock, but mostly with love and I know we've finally gotten over the fight we had yesterday. He nods his head slightly in agreement before he raises his arms out towards me.

"Please come here," he whispers hoarsely and I crawl over to fall into his arms. He crushes my body to his and I bury my face in his neck to take in the smell that is just _Draco_. I drape my legs over his lap and he rubs his hand up and down my back. I'm still worried about where we're at after he shut me out yesterday, but I still find myself worried and scared to ask him about it. I know I have to do it though so I open my mouth after taking a deep breath to prepare myself.

"You shut me out of your head yesterday and then when I was with your aunt in your father's study…" I trail off unsure of how to explain to him a small part of me worried he wouldn't come help me because of our fight. I can feel his arms tighten around me protectively and his next words come out as a fierce growl.

"Don't _ever _think I won't come protect you just because we had a fight. I know we said things, but we were both angry and not thinking straight. I would _never _leave you unprotected for even a second. I don't care if I'm pissed off at you. I will always protect you with my life. Do you understand me?" I can feel his words vibrating in his chest from where my hand rests against his bare chest. I nod my head minutely before drawing my body closer to his in appreciation.

"I'm sorry," I whisper and I can feel him shudder when my lips brush against the warm skin of his neck as his hands clutch me impossibly closer. Feeling him shudder at my touch unleashes something inside of me and I find myself smirking against his neck before I place a gentle kiss to his pulse that is beating wildly in his neck.

"Bry," he gasps before letting out a groan when I let my teeth nip at his neck lightly. With my lips barely touching his neck, I whisper my thoughts to him so my hot breath can caress his rapidly heating skin.

"Your excuse yesterday was that I needed rest. Do you have an excuse today?" I let my lips part gently and I press a kiss to the underside of his jaw before my tongue lightly traces from under his jaw to his ear. Letting my teeth lightly pull his earlobe, I release it to stay there and let my breath wash over his skin as goosebumps visibly raise. His response is a groan before shoving me back so I'm lying on my back causing me to giggle before my breath catches in my throat when he's hovering over me with his body pressed to every inch of mine. He stares at me with darkened eyes to make his eyes look like a stormy grey instead of its normal light blue.

"No, I don't, Ms. Griffin," he growls at me and pushes his hips into mine. I gasp at the feeling of his already half hard cock pressed against my throbbing clit. It's then that I notice, his hand has already run up my thigh and has yanked his boxers off of me. Now, left in just his button up, I almost chuckle at the fact that this was how I was dressed yesterday when my seduction was interrupted by Sirius.

Draco's lips meeting mine in a flurry of activity pulls me from my thoughts and my arms wrap around his neck to pull him closer. The one thing I'll never get use to is how great Draco's kisses are. The way just his lips brushing against mine has my toes curling. How his tongue brushing my lips or my own tongue has the tightly coiled desired in my stomach clenching in anticipation. Don't even get me started on when his teeth scrape against my bottom lip, pulling a whimper from my throat that quickly turns to a groan when I feel his finger lightly brush against the apex of my thighs.

"Hmmm ready for me already, love?" He pulls back to stare at me with our foreheads pressed together. His finger slides into me, halting my answer on my lips. "Merlin, baby girl, you're soaked already," he groans and drops his lips to my neck to pepper teasing kisses up and down my skin while he adds another finger to pump in and out of me in a torturously slow pace alongside his other finger. My entire head goes fuzzy of everything except Draco when his thumb starts to teasingly rub against my clit as his fingers speed up slightly. Tilting his fingers slightly, he brushes against a spot that has me arching my back in pleasure.

"Dray!" I gasp and pant as his fingers speed up so they're steadily thrusting into me while his thumb rubs harder on my clit. He pulls back from my neck to smirk while staring at my hooded eyes.

"I think I found it, didn't I? You like teasing me, don't you?" I whimper when his fingers slow down as he waits for my answer. I frantically nod my head.

"Yes, I do," I squeak out. I almost yell in thanks when his fingers resume the pace they had taken moments ago that had me pushing my hips to meet his finger's thrusts. Feeling myself getting closer, I realize it's not enough. I've been in a coma for two months and the first thing we did was fight. While his fingers were doing sinful things that I _definitely _loved, I need him. All of him.

Reaching down, I pull his fingers out and bring them up towards his now confused face. He leans back, probably to start apologizing in case he did something wrong, but my mouth wrapping around his wet fingers has his mouth dropping open in a groan instead of an apology. Pulling his fingers out of my mouth, I let them brush my lips as my tongue teasingly traces each digit while I stare into his rapidly darkening eyes.

"You little…" He starts, but his accusation is cut off by me hooking my leg around his hip and forcing him onto his back. Now straddling him, I stare at his bewildered face that quickly turns to one of hunger as I rock my hips over his hardness.

"I do like to tease, Mr. Malfoy. However, I've waited long enough so I'll tease you some other time," I say breathlessly before I lean down and fuse our lips together. He responds back eagerly and his hands grasp my hips to press me closer to his hips that are pushing closer to me. Letting my hand slide down his chest, I reach into his pajamas to pull his hard cock out of his pajama pants. Before he can even realize I've released him from his pajama pants, I lean my head back from his lips so I'm sitting up straight before sinking down onto him in one movement.

I watch in fascination as he pushes his head into his pillow behind him and pushes himself further into me. I groan at the fullness before using my thighs to raise myself before pushing back down. I get a rhythm going and lean in to place light kisses across his chest before working my way to his neck. I can feel the saltiness of his sweat dancing against my tongue when I sweep it over his rapidly fluttering pulse. After I nip lightly with my teeth, I feel and hear his groan that is ripped from his throat.

"I think I found it, didn't I, Mr. Malfoy?" I tease and he snaps his hips into me harder causing me to gasp. Moving my hips faster, I can feel his hands clutching my hips and pushing his hips into me desperately as I leave marks along the column of his neck.

Sweat falls from my forehead and travels like a caress down to my neck as the room gets warmer by the second. I can feel my thighs trembling and I know I won't be able to last much longer. Leaning back, I settle my hands on his chest to use them as leverage to help my weakening legs. Green meets blue and I see him biting his lips as he greedily drinks in the sight of me riding him shamelessly. I feel his hands tighten on my hips and can feel his hips push himself into me harder and deeper.

"Baby," he groans and I can see his body is glistening in a light sheen of sweat. His eyes are transfixed on my face as I pant and bite my lip. My eyes snap to his and I can feel myself sink into his mind to see what he sees. With a groan, my thighs clench slightly causing my clit to brush against his hip. My shaking increases and I fight the urge to fall into his chest.

Due to our connection still being open, he must've heard my thoughts because the next thing I know, my back is arching off of the mattress as his hips snap into me hard and fast. My eyes close as I feel the pleasure build and listen to his pants as one of his hands sinks greedily into my hip and the other finds itself tangled in my hand.

**_Look at me, beautiful._**

My eyes snap open and find he has released my hip and has both of my hands above my head as our pants of air intermingle between our mouths. His lips are so close, I could kiss them if I leaned forward, but I'm transfixed on the look of adoration in his eyes. With him being this close, his angle changed and is now pushing against my g-spot causing my pants to be joined with needy whimpers.

"Draco," I whimper and am met with his groan of my name. He pushes into me once, twice, three more times and we're both coaxed over the edge. My entire body shakes as he slows down and comes to a gradual stop. The sweat has already started to cool on my body, but I can still feel my blood racing through my veins. Leaning forward slightly, I catch Draco by surprise and brush my lips against his reddened cheek before leaning my head back down on the pillow under me. He removes his hands from mine, but I quickly bring them down to wrap around his body when his encompass my trembling body as his head uses my chest as a pillow. Placing a kiss between my breasts, he turns his head to lay down again and I can feel my nipple starting to pebble against the warm air escaping his mouth so close to it.

My hand reaches up to comb through his hair that is now very messy from my tight grip just minutes before. I smile serenely and place a kiss against his slightly damp hair.

"Briar, we need to talk to…" I hurriedly shush him causing him to tighten his arms around me. He turns his head to look down into my eyes. I give him a small smile before accepting his kiss. Leaning back, I see him start to open his mouth to finish that thought, but I cut him off.

"Please, just a few more minutes of peace," I whisper to him pleadingly. He nods his head and kisses my forehead sweetly before laying back down on my chest. Taking a deep breath, I see his head slowly rise and fall with my movement. I chuckle slightly. "You seem awfully attached to my chest, Mr. Malfoy," I tease. He scoffs.

"I'm attached to every part of you, Ms. Griffin," he teases back before nipping at my pebbled nipple causing me to gasp. Trailing my hand from his hair, I let it trail down his spine teasingly.

"Do you think you're recharged enough to…" I start to let my mind fill in the blanks with some rather naughty thoughts that he groans at. I chuckle as I can feel him growing hard against my thigh already and cherish the look of mirth in his eyes when he leans back to stare at me. Before we can do anything about our rapidly growing arousal again, there's a knock at the door.

"You both have ten minutes to get downstairs. There is much to discuss," says the bored voice of Snape. We both groan before Draco gets up to start gathering clothes for the day while I silently appraise the side of him in all of his naked glory. He turns and my eyes snap to his smirking face.

"When all of this is over, I'm locking us in a room for twenty-four hours," I grumble before walking into the bathroom to clean up as his laughter follows me.

**_It would be my pleasure, baby. _**I smile at his response in my mind and feel dread crawl up my spine as I realize our happy bubble is about to get popped rather quickly once we walk down those stairs.


	38. Chapter 38

**Okay so you guys are absolutely my favorite people in the entire world! We're back to eight reviews! Lol you guys are going to be getting double chapters for a while at this rate! XOXO**

**Draco POV**

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK TO MY SON THAT WAY!" I roll my eyes and focus on Briar sitting on the other side of the two-seated couch in my living room. Snape and my mother have been speaking tactics for the past twenty minutes, but it has mostly been Snape berating me and Briar and my mother deflecting from us. Well, that was until Snape had the audacity to say he should've magically kept Briar in a coma until he needed her. As you can imagine, I snapped and verbally ripped into him which caused him to snap back at me and now he has unleashed Mama Malfoy.

Briar has been staring at the floor for the past few minutes ever since Snape dug into us and has barely moved a muscle. Reaching into her mind, I can feel her sadness and guilt. She thinks this is her fault.

_**Don't you dare do that, Briar Griffin.** _My thought is a little harsher than I meant, but it's not her fault my aunt used me to get to her. Her head snaps to me and I can see the sadness in her eyes.

**_It's my fault we're in this mess. _**

I shake my head in disagreement and immediately try to talk sense into her.

**_It's your fault my aunt tortured you? It's your fault she made a note to lure you here pretending to be me? _**

She rolls her eyes and her cheeky reply pushes into my mind seconds later.

**_Well, no, but…_**

She goes to continue that thought, but I cut her off.

**_But nothing. If anything, it's my fault for being a Death Eater and having to leave before we resolved our fight in the first place which left you vulnerable. I won't be making that mistake ever again, but you're not to blame in any of this and neither am I. This is all on my aunt. _**

I can see the tentative flicker of hope in her eyes that she wants to believe me, but I know it will take some time for her to process. With a nod of her head, I cock my head to the side to which she rolls her eyes playfully as a smile slowly creeps onto her face. As she gets my message to come closer, she starts to move towards me when Snape's voice cuts through my thoughts.

"Don't you dare move, Ms. Griffin," he spits out angrily. Briar stops moving and snaps her shocked eyes to Snape. Before I can growl a response out about him speaking to her that way, she stands up quickly and I see Snape take a few steps back. Looking to her, I can see her eyes have a rainbow ring around them. I chuckle and sit back to enjoy the wrath of my girl on Snape as my mother looks to me questioningly. Snape may be older, but I know he's no match for Briar's anger.

"I'm going to say this once, Severus," she growls out as his eyes widen. "Draco and I are not to blame for Bellatrix's actions. While I should've waited to authenticate the letter like you said, Narcissa already wiped her memory. There is no danger so how about you _sit down_…" his body falls back onto the couch haphazardly and I can see his shoulders struggle slightly. She's restraining him with her mind. I tune back into her speech as I push down my increasing arousal at her show of dominance. "…and stop pointing fingers. It won't get us anywhere and we have bigger problems to deal with. Like Voldemort?" I won't lie, my mother and I both flinch at the use of his name. "You need to get back to training me instead of threatening to put me back into a coma," she finishes with a sneer.

Taking a step back, Briar releases Snape on the couch and he hastily stands and brushes his cloak off in anger. She crosses her arms over her chest in defiance, daring him to go against what she said. He huffs and nods his head before looking to my mother again.

"I was unaware you wiped Bella's mind, Narcissa." My mother raises an eyebrow at his response before copying Briar's stance with her arms over her chest.

"That must be because you wouldn't stop talking over me, Sev," my mother barked. I can see his face draw into an emotionless mask before turning to Briar who was still standing in her stance. She had moved closer to me as if to protect me from Snape's anger if he started yelling again. I smile at the gesture and see Snape has noticed her positioning as well.

"Ms. Griffin, you need to be more careful. Is that understood?" Without hesitation, I can see Briar's shoulders relax a little when Snape doesn't immediately start yelling again.

"Understood, Severus," she agreed. Now that we all seem to be on common ground, Briar's arms fall from her chest and she walks to sit directly next to me on the couch. Leaning into my side, I lift my arm and wrap it around her protectively before placing a kiss on her forehead. I can see Snape roll his eyes in annoyance at our inability to stay away from each other, but hey, she was in a coma for two months. I'm not letting her out of my sight for as long as I can help it.

"Bellatrix won't be a threat since you wiped her mind, Narcissa. Briar, we have much to discuss," he drones before glancing at me and my mother before his eyes meet hers again. "Alone."

I can feel my skin prickle in irritation that Snape was trying to get Briar to speak about something I shouldn't know. I can sense my mother, now behind me with a hand on my shoulder, isn't so keen on there being secrets either. However, I don't get to feel that way for long before Briar speaks up.

"No. I'm done lying, Sev. I trust Narcissa and Draco. They deserve to know the truth and we know their minds are safe. You said yourself you were impressed by Narcissa and Draco's skill to keep you out of their minds for the past few years as you trained Draco," she states with her chin lifted slightly. I can tell she has her mind set to her decision and it makes me proud of her for the second time in the last few minutes.

"Ms. Griffin…" Snape warns, but Briar interrupts and turns to face me and my mother.

"I'm Harry Potter's protector and my task is to fight Voldemort when Harry is taking care of his…task," she finishes hesitantly. I can see Snape over her shoulder clenching his fists in anger. My mother gets over the shock of her task quicker than I do as I'm still trying to control my jealousy that Potter would be protected by my girl. Not to mention my anger over the fact his protector was the girl he got "killed" with his stupidity. _My _girl.

"What is his task, dear?" My mother's voice is soft, but I can hear the concern laced in it. Briar looks to me hesitantly before taking a deep breath and looking back to my mother.

"To die," she whispers. Before anyone can interrupt, she continues. "Harry Potter is a horcrux that needs to be killed by Voldemort so that Voldemort can be killed. I was assigned to protect his body while the horcrux in him is dying…I was assigned to fight Voldemort while Harry can't." Her eyes meet mine again and I can't hear anything. I can't even hear anyone breathing as if everyone is holding their breath for my response, but all I keep hearing are her words over and over again.

_I was assigned to fight Voldemort. _


	39. Chapter 39

**Draco POV**

**Previously…**

_"To die," she whispers. Before anyone can interrupt, she continues. "Harry Potter is a horcrux that needs to be killed by Voldemort so that Voldemort can be killed. I was assigned to protect his body while the horcrux in him is dying…I was assigned to fight Voldemort while Harry can't." Her eyes meet mine again and I can't hear anything. I can't even hear anyone breathing as if everyone is holding their breath for my response, but all I keep hearing are her words over and over again. _

_I was assigned to fight Voldemort. _

* * *

My entire mind is buzzing with hundreds of thoughts a second, but the only thing I could wrap my head around was someone tasked my doe with fighting Voldemort. The most dangerous dark wizard in history. The same wizard that has to kill Harry Potter who is supposedly our only hope to Voldemort not winning this war.

"No," I croak out and stare straight into her hesitant eyes. When I see confusion cloud them, I continue. "No, you need to get a different task. You can't fight Voldemort! He'll kill you just like he's apparently going to kill Potter!" She looks at me sadly and her eyes move to my mother when she starts speaking behind me, her hand squeezing my shoulder in a comforting manner.

"You don't have to fight him long though, do you? You said Harry has a horcrux in him? Does that mean he will wake up?" I can see Briar glance over her shoulder to look at Snape who is just standing with an angry mask set on his face. Looking back to my mother, Briar starts to explain.

"I think I should start from the beginning?" My mother must nod her head because Briar returns the gesture.

"Narcissa, you may want to take a seat," Severus drones from behind Briar. Moments later, my mother is next to me and holding my cold hand in hers. I can still barely process what's happening, but her hand in mine at least grounds me enough to focus on what Briar starts saying.

"During second year, I saved Ginny Weasley by bringing a dream I had to Dumbledore's attention. It was later revealed that the dream I had wasn't just a dream, but a vision. I'm a seer, or at least, I have seer blood in my family history and have visions occasionally. Most of the time, they come to me as dreams, but with Severus' help, I have been able to trigger them if I need to. It doesn't always work as it's not an exact science, but I've gotten pretty good at it," she pauses and lets that set in. Glancing at, what I'm sure is an emotionless mask on my face, she goes to continue before Snape interrupts.

"Ms. Griffin is one of the most skilled seers I've trained in all of my years at Hogwarts for her age. She proceeds even some of Professor Trelawney's abilities," Snape interjects. I can see Briar's cheeks blush at the compliment.

"One night I had a vision of a forest," she whispers and takes a deep breath. "Harry was laying on the ground and wasn't moving. As the vision progressed, I saw Voldemort casting a killing curse as well as a woman saying "Dead" over Harry's body. I immediately rushed to Dumbledore's office and interrupted a meeting between him and Snape." She turns to look at Snape to mumble a quick "Sorry about that, again," to which Snape just gives her a small nod of his head. Turning to me and my mother, she seems to be holding back as she stares at my mother.

"Who was the woman that pronounced him dead?" My mother's voice floats from beside me in her tentative question.

"You, Narcissa," Snape says from behind Briar. I look to Briar in shock to confirm and see her nod. Turning in my seat to face mother, I see her face is pale and is unable to speak as her mouth opens and closes multiple times without any words being audible.

"Me? But why…" She trails off unable to say anything.

"We don't know, Narcissa, but it was you in my vision. After this vision, I spoke with Dumbledore and Snape and I was given my task by Dumbledore. The night Harry survived, a piece of Voldemort was embedded into his soul, therefore, creating a horcrux. Dumbledore has known from second year that Harry will have to die so Voldemort can be defeated. He made it my task to fight Voldemort, should Harry be unable to fight him."

"So, Potter dies and you're responsible for killing Voldemort?" It's the first words I've said since I blew up over her being killed by Voldemort. Briar looks at me uncertain of her next words.

"I don't know," Briar whispers. I raise my eyebrow in question, but it's Snape who fills in the blanks.

"While Ms. Griffin has tried many times to see past that fate to see if young Mr. Potter lives after the horcrux dies or not; she has been unsuccessful. It's for that reason I have been training her, should she need to take the Dark Lord down instead of Mr. Potter. Dumbledore is unsure of what is in Mr. Potter's future once the Dark Lord kills the horcrux inside of him." All of the information swirls around in my head for what feels like forever, but in reality, it's only a few seconds before I find myself nodding my head in understanding. I let out a humorless chuckle.

"So, you're telling me that you don't know if she has to fight the Dark Lord instead of Potter or not? You're telling me that after he _kills _Potter, that it's her turn to die? That sounds like a _great _task," I sneer in Snape's direction. I can feel my mother squeezing my hand in a warning to control my temper, but this was not happening. I refuse to let Potter get her killed for good this time.

"Draco," my mother whispers cautiously and I turn to look at her.

"NO, mother! I'm not letting Potter get her killed! She survived the first time because of the connection or however that worked, but I'm not taking a chance on it happening ever again!" My mother looks at me sympathetically and squeezes my hand again in comfort, but there's very little chance of me calming down right now.

"I understand that, Draco, but it isn't your choice," she whispers and I know she's right. I may understand she's right, but that doesn't mean I have to like Briar putting her life in danger for Potter again. I snap my eyes to Briar's and I can feel the anger dissipate a little at her cautious look.

**_We just solved our first fight. Please don't start another, my dragon. _**

Her pleading in my head sounds sad and nervous and it sucks the rest of my anger from my body. All that's left is my agitation towards Potter's general existence and the sadness that she could die yet again. There's nothing I can do to stop that except stay by her side whenever possible. I snap my eyes to Snape and fire my next question towards him.

"What are you doing to keep her safe?" From my peripheral, I see Briar look over her shoulder towards Snape as well.

"I'm training her, Draco," he repeats from his information earlier. I shake my head.

"That's not good enough. If she has to go against the Dark Lord, training might not be enough. She needs to have a protector as well," I assert.

"I suppose you have someone in mind already, Draco?" I can hear the sarcasm in his voice.

"Yes. Make me her protector," I state. My mother gasps from my side and I can see Briar's head whip towards me in horror.

"Draco, no. You…" Briar's refusal is cut off by Snape speaking over her.

"No offense, Mr. Malfoy, but you're not trained to be anyone's protector. I highly doubt you'll have time to train with your new task from the Dark Lord."

"I agreed to help Draco with his task," Briar whispers, but doesn't say anything else. Snape's eyes pin with a look of disapproval, but doesn't have the chance to say anything before my mother butts in.

"Draco, being a protector is a lot more than training. While I think it's great that you want to try and protect Briar, I don't think you know what you're getting yourself into." I look to my mother with confusion clearly on my face.

"I have to protect her…What else is there that I need to learn other than some training? She's safer if I'm with her," I say with an air of arrogance in my voice.

"Dray, even with my abilities, training broke me down mentally, emotionally, and physically. You saw how exhausted I was whenever we met after my sessions. Training is a lot more intense than just doing some exercises and dueling practice," Briar breathes uncomfortably and I'm reminded of something she said months ago in the Room of Requirement.

**_"Snape," she says tiredly. Peering up at her face, I see she has a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead. "He has been teaching me how to transfer my healing abilities to others. We can't get around the side effect of me feeling the pain though so he has been helping me…tolerate pain," she whispers. She must see the question in my eyes, but she shakes her head and says "Don't ask."_**

"Ms. Griffin is right. Besides, I have someone in mind to be her protector and he's already done with training. While she was in her coma, he was training so request denied, Mr. Malfoy," Snape drawls.

"He?" I can't help the redness that greets my cheeks when I clench my fist and can feel my jealousy rise.

"His identity is to be a secret until further notice," Snape says, but I can see him glance at Briar. She knows who it is. "Since Bellatrix is not a threat and you can't be Briar's protector since you have to go back to school, I must be going." He turns to walk towards the entrance to my father's study, but he doesn't get far before I stop him.

"Snape, what do you mean I have to go back to school? What does that have to do with anything?!" He looks at me over his shoulder, glances at Briar, and proceeds to walk to the floo and leave without even answering me.

"I'm not returning to Hogwarts, Draco," Briar whispers from behind me. I whip around and stare at her with wide eyes.

"Honey, Briar needs people to believe she's dead. She can't return to Hogwarts," my mother finishes Briar's thought process. I look to Briar and she nods her head in agreement.

"That's part of why you can't be my protector, love," she says affectionately. I stare at her and let everything sink in. After making such a fuss about how Briar will be safer with me, I just realized my worst nightmare had come true.

I was going to Hogwarts without her for my Sixth Year.


	40. Chapter 40

**You guys are really enjoying this story! Wow! At this rate, you're going to be getting double chapters until I start brainstorming for a sequel ;) We're back to EIGHT reviews omg! Thank you so much for your amazing responses and I hope I answered some of the reviews some people sent in about why Bellatrix was at the Manor in the first place, how Draco feels about Briar's protector (that will be answered in the next chapter), and how Briar was dealing with the vision of her parent's death. Not to mention the infamous Unbreakable Vow!**

**Briar POV**

Narcissa starts asking questions as she glances at Draco again who is just sitting next to her in silence. Once I informed him we wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts together, he shut down and hasn't said anything since. Giving him time to process, I began answering Narcissa's questions to the best of my ability.

"Now that I understand your background and the task, I have to ask. How many people know you're alive and who can we trust?"

"You, Draco, Snape, Dumbledore, Sirius, Molly, and Alastor are the only ones that know. Well, Bellatrix did, but you took care of her. Thank you for that again," I thank her genuinely. "As for who to trust, I would just trust each other for now. Obviously, you can trust Snape since he'll come and go for meetings, but the only other two I trust with my life are Sirius and Molly except I don't see any reason for them to be here." Narcissa nods her head in understanding before glancing at Draco again. Seeing how worried she is about his silence has slowly been putting me on edge for the past few minutes. Something else that has put me on edge was Bellatrix.

"How are you, sweetheart?" I open my mouth to answer, but stop when I realize it's not another question about my task, death, or abilities. I look at her and sit on the couch behind me to face her. Looking down at my hands, I start to clasp and unclasp them in an attempt to distract myself from the thought of my parents' death.

"I don't know, to be honest. Yesterday when it happened, I was…broken," my voice breaks as I say that word. Hearing some shuffling and look up to see Draco has focused back into the conversation after hearing the distress in my voice. Glancing at Narcissa, I continue my thoughts. "I knew their death was horrible from what Lucius would taunt me with, but I never imagined they forced them to…" I trail off and find myself heavily swallowing to offset the tightness in my throat. Looking down to hide the tears quickly building up, I unintentionally sniffle.

"I'm so sorry that you had to watch that. I'm sorry my hus…_Lucius _had a part in that. I don't even know who he is anymore. You have to know, he wasn't always this cruel. He used to be a loving husband and father, but when his father died, something changed in him. I don't excuse any of his behavior in anyway, but I wish I could give you some answers to his actions." I can hear the remorse in her voice and I nod my head. I know she isn't to blame for Lucius' actions.

"I don't blame you at all, Narcissa. I know he acted on his own with the help of Bellatrix that day," I glance up and am met with Narcissa's sad eyes. "Why was she here yesterday, by the way?"

"She was summoned to be a witness for Draco's first task. Once she got here, she was adamant that we speak with Snape to get him to agree to an unbreakable vow which is why she was here well into the morning. We will be meeting with him later today to discuss it since she doesn't remember anything other than Draco getting the task." I can feel myself shudder at the thought of Draco's task and that's when I notice Draco's hand in mine. Sometime during me trying not to cry while reliving the thoughts of my parent's death, he had moved across the room to sit beside me. Looking up at him, I can see him looking down at me with softened eyes when he notices the tears are having a hard time not spilling over. Seeing the concern on his face has the first tear run down my face. He wipes it away with his thumb and sends me a small smile. Turning to look at Narcissa again, I see how happily she is looking between me and Draco.

"Thank you for interrupting in the office, Narcissa. I know that's your sister and it must have been hard to…" She raises her hand and I stop talking.

"She is not my sister. A sister of mine would not hurt someone I have come to love as a daughter and my sister _certainly _would _never _do anything to someone who means as much to Draco as you do. I will be around her to keep up appearances, but whenever this war is over, she's dead to me." I look at Narcissa in shock and find more tears are running down my face as a grateful smile stretches across my face. Standing, I walk over to Narcissa and find her standing up with her arms out to me. Wrapping me into a hug, I take a deep breath and melt into her embrace as I try to stop my tears from running down my face.

"Thank you," I whisper in awe and feel her squeeze me to her tighter before placing a light kiss on the top of my hair. Pulling back, she clasps her hands in mine and looks me in the eyes.

"You don't have anything to thank me for. I should be thanking you actually. I've always loved my family, but we've never been close until you came into the picture. Don't get me wrong, me and Draco were always close, but he seems more open and happy than I've ever seen him. I know I have you to thank for that so thank you for loving my son and helping him choose to be a better man," she breathes out and I can see tears gathering in her eyes. Smiling at her in response, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to look over said shoulder and see Draco standing there with a smile on his face. Letting go of Narcissa's hands, I spin and throw myself into his chest and wind my arms around his waist.

Catching my body against his in a surprised _oof_, his arms wrap around me with a chuckle. I can feel him looking down at me as his breath washes over the hairs on the top of my head where his lips rest.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you my whole task earlier, but I was waiting for the right time and then I was in a coma and then we were fighting and I didn't want you to be mad, but I…" My rambling trails off when I hear him let out a loud laugh as his arms squeeze me closer. Turning my head up to look at his face in curiosity, I see his eyes gazing down at me adoring as a huge smile lights up his handsome face.

"_Breathe_, love. I didn't think you could say so much in one breath," he teases. I roll my eyes and mumble under my breath as I hug him tighter. I'm sure all he could hear was "stupid, Malfoy" and "making fun of me" because he chuckles again before kissing the top of my head affectionately as his mother laughs heartily behind me as well.

"I do have one more question before you get some rest as I'm sure you're exhausted," Narcissa says. As she says that, I realize how my eyes are stinging from fatigue. Going to pull out of Draco's arms, I feel his arms tighten around me so I turn so my back is flush to his chest; his arms resting around my chest as my hands rest lightly on top of his. I nod at Narcissa to go ahead with her question and I can feel Draco's arms squeeze me possessively at her question.

"Who is your protector?"


	41. Chapter 41

**Draco POV**

**Previously_…_**

_Refusing to let go of Briar, I hold her to my chest with her back flush against it. My hands rest around her waist and I can feel a smile tug at my lips as her small hands rest against mine lightly. However, hearing my mother's question has the raging jealousy fire up in my veins again and my arms tighten around her possessively. _

_"Who is your protector?" _

* * *

Waiting a few moments for Briar's answer, I can feel her shoulders shrug slightly. Raising my eyebrow curiously, I glance down at the top of her head.

"I don't know," she answers indifferently. "Well, I won't know until Draco goes back to school since my task technically is supposed to start sixth year. I would've rather to do it at Hogwarts, but with my death, that isn't possible."

"Of course," I scoff. I wrap my arms around her tighter and can feel my mother's piercing gaze on the side of my face. Turning my head, I look at her arrogantly. "What? You don't find it convenient that this protector of hers isn't going to be in the picture until I'm gone? We don't even know who _he _is," I sneer defensively. I can feel Briar stiffen in my arms, but I'm not ready for the two women in front of me to start laughing together.

Briar's laughter vibrates against my chest and I look to my mother bewildered as she clutches at her stomach. After a few minutes of me looking at them like they've lost their minds, my mother stands up, wipes a tear from her eye, and stops laughing enough to address the still giggling woman in my arms.

"Oh, Briar. I'm so sorry! I had no idea I had raised an overprotective Neanderthal of a son," she teases. I let out a huff of annoyance and slight embarrassment and feel Briar's hand leave mine to wipe at a tear off her face like my mother had before.

"It's alright, Narcissa. He's kind of cute when he's jealous and overprotective," I hear her tease before I'm met with gleaming emerald eyes. Rolling my eyes in mock irritation, I feel and hear both of them chuckle again.

"Whatever," I mumble and lower my face to hide my flushed cheeks.

"If you need anything, please come find me. I spoke with Severus before you two came downstairs and he agreed you could stay here until Draco has to leave for school in two weeks so make yourself at home," my mother tells Briar. I hear her say a quick "thank you" in response before my mother walks out of the room. Now that we're alone, I decide to ask the question I wanted to.

"All those months ago, you said Snape had been teaching you to use your healing abilities on others, but he was helping you tolerate pain. You kind of alluded to it before as well when you mentioned training was mental, physical, and emotion. What didn't you tell me that day?" With a sigh, she grabs my hand and pulls me so I'm seated on the couch in front of her. Crouching down in front of me, she grasps my hands in hers and looks at our joint hands.

"Before I tell you anything, I need you to promise to keep your temper in check. I don't want to fight you, Dray. You may not like what I have to say, but in the long run, it helped me become a strong fighter." Seeing the hesitancy on her face forces me to nod my head in agreement, but her stern look has me rolling my eyes before verbally agreeing.

"I promise to _try _to keep my temper in check," I grumble. With a nod of her head, she begins her explanation.

"Snape tortured me with the Cruciatus Curse," she says before giving me a harsh look when I open my mouth to yell. Closing my mouth, I see her let out a relived sigh before she continues. "During training, I had been able to withstand him trying to get into my mind for hours successfully so we moved to less pleasant forms of teaching. It's part of the reason why your aunt wasn't able to get me to crumble when she tortured me. The only reason it had an effect was because she caught me off guard in the beginning, but I was able to push the pain away. Well, until she sliced me open," she mumbles. "After I completed being tortured for a…certain number of hours, I moved to other training on how to harness my healing powers since I was able to push the pain aside more effectively."

Letting all of that information sink in was a task since I was trying to push down my raising anger. While I understand the thought process behind her being tortured, it didn't mean I had to like the fact that she was tortured. One thing was bothering me though.

"How many hours?" I look to her clenched jaw and I can tell she doesn't want to tell me. "We agreed no secrets, Briar. How many hours did he torture you?" Her shoulders slump slightly at my words and I can feel one of her hands leave my hand. Glancing down, I see her hand has rested on her arm and is rubbing it slightly like she's having a phantom pain.

"Four consecutive hours, but there were times when we took breaks in between so he could simulate a hostage situation so my body could get accustomed to unexpected bouts of pain in case I'm ever in a situation like that," she says wearily.

"You mean, in case you're captured by the Dark Lord and tortured after he kills Potter," I sneer. She nods her head minutely and she rubs her arm a little harder. Pushing my anger down, I grasp her hand and gently pull her towards me. With widened eyes, I tug again lightly and she crawls into my lap hesitantly. Leaning against the back of the couch, I let her rest settle between my legs with her own thrown over one thigh while the other supports the small of her back as she leans into my chest.

Cradling her head against my shoulder, I rest my lips against her forehead and just breathe her in. With my arms wrapped around her and hers lightly grasping the t-shirt I threw on before we came downstairs; I can feel my anger melt away causing her to sigh against my neck.

"You don't seem angry," she whispers. I let out a low chuckle and watch the tiny hairs by her hairline blow back softly at my exhale.

"I'm furious you were tortured for practice and by my aunt, but I do get the thought process. I can't change what you had to go through in practice, but I'll be damned if I don't have a say on what you have to go through going forward. I'll be speaking with my god father the next time I see him," I growl. I feel her shake her head against my shoulder in dispute.

"Draco, he knows what he's doing. You can't protect me from pain, especially not with a war coming. Although, I will admit that you trying your hardest to protect me makes me love you so much more than I already do," she whispers and places a kiss gently to the side of my neck before settling back into my shoulder. I press a kiss to her forehead before focusing on next steps.

"What am I supposed to do while you're not at Hogwarts? Staying away for two months while you were in the coma was torture, but a whole half a year before break and then for the rest of term? Not to mention if I'll even be able to see you during break depending on who's frequenting the Manor," I murmur sadly.

"You have to kill Dumbledore. Or at least, you have to make it seem like you're trying to. Your mother mentioned Snape will be taking the Unbreakable Vow to help you so listen to him and confide in him. I know you're going to fall into the whole arrogant persona that school things you are, but please don't refuse his help just because of your pride. It will only hurt you in the end," she concludes and I have to admit she has a point. That's exactly what I planned on doing; pushing away Snape's help so there was no chance of the Dark Lord getting mad I needed help, but how would he know? As long as the task was done or actively being worked on, I could keep him off my back long enough for Potter to do whatever it is Potter needs to do.

"What's Potter supposed to be doing during all of this?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you, Draco. I took an oath to Dumbledore as Harry's protector to not reveal his tasks." I nod my head in understanding and cradle her closer when I feel her yawn. Pressing another kiss to her forehead, I start to rub her back and I can feel her body getting heavier against mine. Before she can give into sleep, I suddenly get an idea and nudge her a little to wake her up slightly.

"Come with me, I want to take you somewhere," I whisper. She looks at me in confusion, but she must see my excitement because she quickly follows my lead and gets up. Once I'm off the couch, I grab her hand and pull her out the side door that leads to our patio and into my mother's garden. I hear her gasp as she sees the number of flowers have doubled since the last time she was here around Christmas time.

"They're beautiful, Draco!" With a grin, I take a look at her smiling face. She's so fixated on them that she doesn't see me sneakily pluck a white daisy from the bush. When I take a step towards her again, her eyes meet mine and are drawn to the delicate daisy in my hand. With a smile, she lets me place it behind her ear after I brush her hair out of the way. Now sporting the daisy, she meets my eyes with a bright blush scattered over both of her cheeks as I rest my hand on the side of her neck.

"You're beautiful," I whisper. I lean forward and press a lingering a kiss to her waiting lips, but before she can deepen it, I pull back to which she groans in protest. Pulling back, I chuckle at the pout that's on her lips and reach down to take her hand again. Tugging her after me, I pull her into the woods and follow the trail I know like the back of my hand. After a few minutes, she starts to get antsy and starts asking questions.

"Dray, where in the world are we going?" Stumbling on a rock, I catch myself and continue walking while her giggle filters through the air behind me.

"It's a surprise," I tease while glancing over my shoulder to send her a wink. Smiling, she looks down and follows silently the rest of the way. Once I see the clearing, I pull Briar in front of me and lean her against a tree so that I can look down at her. Bracing my hands on either side of, I lean forward so I can see get closer to her eyes that are bright green as the sun shines on them periodically through the trees around us.

"Almost a year ago, my father brought me on a hunting trip. He shoved me behind this very tree and made me watch him murder two muggles, but then, right over behind that tree," I point to the tree on my right a few feet away and watch her eyes follow my finger, "I saw a flash of rainbow." Her eyes snap to mine and I see recognition shine brightly in her emerald eyes. "On that day, I saw a doe and it let me touch its face like it trusted me not to be the boy my father was trying to raise that day; the one who murders without a thought. Then, when I got to Hogwarts, I saw that flash of rainbow again in class when a beautiful girl tried to keep herself from murdering Dolores Umbridge for saying her half brother's death was a tragic accident," I tease. She lets out a giggle at my mention of her trying to kill Umbridge.

"She would've deserved it," she grumbles teasingly. I let out a loud laugh that fills my entire body with lightness and happiness. The same feeling the woman in front of me always gives me.

"She would've," I agree with another chuckle. Reaching up to graze her cheek with my finger, she leans her head towards my touch before I flatten my palm to rest on her cheek. "Almost a year ago, I had met the girl that would change me for the better and I didn't even know it. Watching you in that coma," I pause and can feel my smile slip slightly causing her to hold my wrist of the hand cupping her cheek in encouragement. Taking a deep breath, I push out the rest of the sentence. "Watching you in that coma made me feel like I couldn't breathe. Like my will to live had been sucked out of my body. I don't even want to be apart from you again, Briar Griffin. This year at school without you, and possibly next year too depending on what happens; is my worst fear. I'm scared I'm going to go to school and never see you again or something will happen and I won't be able to protect you. I've already failed at protecting you," I reason glumly. Her hand squeezes my wrist in reassurance.

"Love, we've talked about that. There was nothing you could've…" I cut her off.

"There was something I could've done! I could've been there. I let my father and aunt put your life in danger. I knew you were going into a dangerous situation and I let you go. I shouldn't have let you go" I realize softly. Hearing Briar sigh, I look up at her questioningly and see her staring at me with a displeased look.

"Draco, in all the time you've known me, do you really think it would've been a good idea to tell me I couldn't do something? You're smarter than that," she berates gently. Nodding my head despondently, I realize she's right.

"I still could've done something to protect you," I mutter sorrowfully. I was disappointed with myself for not protecting her and I knew it wasn't fair to get this upset about something we couldn't change, but this was the first time we've truly had time to process her almost death. She has only been awake for two days, but I had a lot of time to agonize over what I could've done differently for two months.

"My dragon, you're the reason I'm alive. Your necklace and your love saved me, remember? I told you that when I entered your mind that night," she whispers. Looking in her eyes, I realize she doesn't blame me for what happened, but I had wallowed in guilt for two months while she laid in a coma. I couldn't let myself off that easily. Could I…?

"Yeah, but if the necklace hadn't…" Now it's her turn to cut me off.

"Don't you dare wallow in what ifs, Draco Malfoy. I'm alive because of you and I won't hear anything different so you might as well go back to be uncharacteristically sappy and continue telling me how much I changed your life for the good," she teases.

"Hey! I wasn't being uncharacteristically sappy! I'm the normal amount of sappy," I pout. She giggles and kisses my pouting lips.

"There he is," she whispers before leaning in to kiss me again. Melting into the kiss, I forget all about why I brought her here in the first place.

_Why was I here, again? _


	42. Chapter 42

**I'm a day late and there's only one chapter for today! I'm so sorry I wasn't around yesterday, but my best friend is a college graduate so we're gonna be celebrating so it might be a few days before I can post again after today. Keep an eye out for updates! Draco will be going back to school in two chapters! YAYYYYY! **

**Draco POV**

The sound of panting is the only thing I can focus on as I continue to kiss Briar over and over again. My hips push into hers, pressing her tighter against the tree trunk. Her hands are wrapped tightly around my neck as one is buried in my hair. She tugs the strands lightly causing me to groan against her mouth before trailing kisses to the side of her jaw before landing on her neck. Manipulating the skin there, I leave a mark and know it'll be there for a while if she doesn't heal it.

A bird chirping pulls me from my Briar induced haze and I pull back to catch my breath and realize where we are. Her hands tug me back to her impatiently, but I chuckle and kiss her forehead affectionately before leaning back to place my hands on her cheeks.

"I brought you here for a reason," I tease and see her huff in annoyance causing another laugh to leave my mouth. I see her lip pull up into a small smile that I know she's trying to hide, but she takes a deep breath to calm her breathing.

"Go ahead," she lightly pouts.

_Merlin, I love this woman. _

"I brought you here because I wanted to properly thank you for being the one who helped me become a better person. However, that wasn't the only reason I brought you here," I trial off and gesture with my head for her to look at the meadow a few feet behind the tree. Turning her head and body, she glances around the tree and sees my surprise. While she was walking around the garden and admiring it, I had ordered a house elf to set up a blanket and some food for us to enjoy. Hearing her gasp, I see a huge smile stretch across her face and she grabs my hand to drag me over to our little picnic. Finally reaching it, she turns to me in surprise and hugs me.

"Who knew the infamous Draco Malfoy was such a softie?!" I can tell she's teasing, but a part of me has to fight being an arrogant ass like I would've been back in first year if someone dared to call me that.

"Yeah, well, don't tell anyone," I grumble playfully. Pulling back, I see her roll her eyes before lowering herself to the blanket to open the basket to see what the house elf made for us. I, personally, ignored everything except for the chocolate covered strawberries and pumpkin juice while Briar enjoys the chicken and strawberries. The entire time I watch her smile while eating, I have to stop myself from dwelling on how little time we have left together before I go back to school. I have no idea when the next time we can see each other will be once I leave.

Glancing around us, I admire the way the sunlight filters through the trees and highlights the meadow around us. What Briar doesn't know is that while she was in her coma, I came here almost every day. It was the first place we met and it is so peaceful here.

"Where are you, my dragon?" Turning my head to look down at her lying across my lap, I run my hand over her hair to let the strands lightly slide between my fingers. She lets out an appreciative hum and closes her eyes before opening them to stare into my eyes.

"I'm right here," I tease. She rolls her eyes. "Did you just roll your eyes at me, you little minx?" She raises her eyebrow at me challengingly.

"Maybe I did. What are you going to do about it?" My fingers lightly trail from her hair all the way to her side before they rest there.

"Oh, I don't know. I might just have to...ATTACK!" At my loud exclamation of that word, I dig my fingers into her side and start tickling her. Loud, uncontrollable laughter falls from her lips as her head digs harder into my lap as she wiggles to try and get away from my hands. After pleading for a few seconds, I eventually give in and stop tickling her. She pants in my lap and stares at me with wide, happy eyes.

"Mean!" Her hand raises up and lightly smacks my chest in mock anger. I pout and rub the spot as if she had actually hurt me.

"Ow! That hurt," I tease and watch her roll her eyes again. I gasp and raise my hand in a reminder of what she just had happen because of her rolling eyes. She stares at me with her mouth open in horror thinking I'm going to start tickling her again. I stare at her with my eyebrow raised in question and eventually bring it down to rest on her cheek instead of going back to her side. She lets out a huff of air she had been holding and I chuckle at her look of relief.

"You didn't answer my question," she breathes as her hand comes up the hold my palm to her cheek.

"I was just thinking about when you were in the coma and I was here every day," I whisper. She turns her head and places an encouraging kiss to the palm of my hand. "It was so peaceful and I kept thinking that one day, I would look up and you would be walking towards me like nothing happened." She smiles at me and leans up to place a quick kiss to my lips before laying back down in my lap.

"That doesn't sound too peaceful, but I'm here now. I'm not going to leave you ever again if I can help it," she promises. I nod my head and focus on the way she worded her sentence. We don't have control over what happens to us and that makes this year at school even more terrifying. Going back to my sight-seeing, I listen to the birds and I find myself holding onto the feel of Briar's body on my lap as much as I can. I really hope Potter doesn't mess up this war because if Briar has to fight Voldemort, she's not going to like when I interfere and fight him to protect her…

* * *

Hours later, the sun is starting to get low in the sky and I can see Briar trying to hide her shivers as the temperature drops. Gathering the basket in her hand, I grab the blanket and wrap it around her shoulders before wrapping my arm around them as well to pull her close to me. Walking slowly back to the manor, I ask the question that has been on my mind all day.

"Bry? When I go back to school to take care of my task, how am I supposed to get in contact with you?" I can see the garden from a distance and know we'll be back to the manor in a few minutes. Although it's cold, I don't find myself wanting to go inside and burst the bubble we've managed to surround ourselves in for the past few hours. I see her look to me before looking back towards the manor that's approaching faster than I want.

"You can go through Snape if it's an emergency and you need my brains, but we should be careful. I can't have anyone knowing I'm alive, love," she whispers sadly, but then speaks again before I can protest her information. "However, I can visit your dreams, remember? I can't do it all the time because it does take energy for me to do it since I'm entering your mind, but I can try to visit that way as much as possible." Nodding my head, I try to not look as disappointed as I feel. Pulling her closer, I feel her shiver slightly when the wind blows.

Looking ahead, I glance at the manor and realize I see my mother in the doorway shaking her head at me frantically. With a look of confusion, I see her glance behind her to speak to someone and then look at me again. What throws me off is there is panic in her eyes as she looks at Briar. There is someone here that shouldn't be. Freezing where I am, I look down at Briar and see her leaning her head into my shoulder in contentment.

My mother shakes her head at me again while staring at Briar.

"Baby, you need to go hide in the woods. Now," I say tensely before shoving her behind me. Without questioning me, I can feel her fear and acknowledgement in my connection to her as she melts farther and farther into the woods.

Once I can't feel her in my mind anymore, indicating she's far enough away; I walk towards my mother who is at the glass door that Briar and I had walked out of hours ago. With a deep breath, I can see the confusion in her eyes.

_This can't be good. _

Opening the door and taking my mother into my arms for a hug, I can feel how tense she is as I lean down to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"What's wrong?" My voice is barely a whisper, but I know she heard me when she quickly whispers her answer back.

"I don't know why she's here." Pulling away from her, she takes my hand and we walk together into the living room. I didn't expect the woman to be sitting in the same place I had been cradling Briar in my arms before I got my idea to have a picnic. Feeling my lips pull over my teeth in a sneer, I can feel my skin bristling in irritation.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" She turns her head to look at me and I see a smirk on her face.

"Aw, aren't you happy to see me, Drackie?!" Rolling my eyes, I have to reign in my anger.

"Obviously not, Parkinson. I remember telling you to never come near me again after you attacked Briar months ago," I growl. Her eyes glint in mischief and I get a really sick feeling in my stomach.

"I was so sorry to hear about her passing," she pouts and places a hand over where her empty chest is supposed to hold a heart in fake sympathy. "

"I'll repeat myself one more time, Parkinson. Why are you here?" She looks from my mother to me before a smirk graces her face again.

"I'm here about our engagement, Drackie!"

**A/N Oooooohhhh Pansy is back, kiddos! Do you think she's gonna be a problem or do you think Narcissa is gonna go all Mama Bear since she loves Briar and Draco together?! **


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N I'm so sorry its been awhile, everyone! I finally was allowed to go back to work and they've been packing on the hours so my updates might not be as quick, but I will still be updating. Don't worry, I have't lost interest in this story at all! This chapter may end with a little twist, but I'm interested to see what y'all think so drop your guesses at the end of the chapter with that beautiful review button! **

**Briar POV **

Laying on the ground in the middle of the meadow in my Animagus form, I keep my mind open in case Draco calls for me. When he told me to go hide in the woods, I could feel my Animagus already trying to take over. What he doesn't know is I reached out to feel around the mind of his visitor. I know it's Parkinson and I know why she's there. Apparently, she's engaged to _my _Draco.

Settling my head on the ground, I can't help the crushing weight of jealousy and betrayal that rips through my heart. When I was in Pansy's mind before, I could tell she had been planning to confront Narcissa and Draco about her engagement to Draco ever since she heard the news of me dying which makes my entire body tense in anger. It has been barely three months since my "death" and she was already trying to make a move on Dray.

_Snap. _

I whip my head from off the ground and snap it towards the sound on my right. Scanning my surroundings, I don't see anyone, but my ears are raised in alertness as I continue to look around.

_Snap. _

I turn my body and jump to my feet when I hear the sound behind me now. Inching away from the sound, I can feel the fur raising on my back in fear. Taking a calming breath, I remember my training with Snape and take a deep breath. Closing my eyes, I push my mind out to the surrounding woods and feel for anyone there, but don't feel anyone.

Tilting my head in confusion, I open my eyes and focus on scanning the area as my mind pushes out farther when suddenly, I can feel someone's anger. Suddenly alert, I shift through that mind and find two things: they're very close and they're here for me.

_Snap. _

* * *

**Draco POV **

The hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge and I can feel my skin prickle at the thought of having to be with Pansy. Clutching my hands into fists, I can hear my mother speaking with Pansy, but none of it makes sense.

"Ms. Parkinson, your contract with our family was terminated. Your parents met with me and my husband a few months ago to annul the marriage contract so there is no engagement," my mother explains. Pansy smirks.

"That is correct, but since that was so Draco could be promised to someone else, someone who is now dead; my family would like to revisit that contract." I can tell from her smile that she is enjoying the thought of Briar being dead way too much and it snaps my resolve to stay quiet.

"Get out of my house, Parkinson," I growl. She looks at me in shock and she takes a step closer to place a hand on my shoulder.

"I know this must be a hard time for you, Draco, but now you can spend your time planning a future with someone worthy of you," she says with a phony smile. I shove her hand off of my shoulder in disgust and can feel my fists clench even tighter. I can feel my fingernails digging into my skin.

"Listen, you little bit…"

"DRACO!" I freeze and turn my angry glare towards my mother who stares at me in disapproval. Clenching my mouth shut, I watch her face go from shocked to one of calm anger. Turning her stare to Parkinson, I can tell Pansy is about to be iced out by my mother so I keep a knowing smirk on my face as I turn to watch Pansy.

"Ms. Parkinson, a contract between our families would be most opportune in light of Ms. Griffin's unfortunate passing," she starts. I turn my face to her in bewilderment. What in Merlin's name did she think she was doing.

"Mother! I will NOT marry…" My mother holds up her hand to cut me off.

"However," she continues, "I would never promise my son to someone as heartless as you. Ms. Griffin hasn't even been dead for three months and you're already here trying to trap my son into marrying you? My, Ms. Parkinson, how the morals have fallen. Do you have any self-respect at all?!" Parkinson looks at my mother in shock.

"I…" She starts, but my mother isn't finished.

"You obviously don't if you think I will force my son into a loveless marriage. Ms. Griffin may be gone, but I saw how happy she made him and I will be damned if I ever push him into a marriage with someone that makes him miserable now that I know how happy he can be. I have Ms. Griffin to thank for showing me how protective, loyal, and extraordinarily happy my son can be with the right woman. You, _Pansy_, will never be that woman. Get the hell out of my house. Now," my mother growls. Turning my head back to my mother, my shock rivals Parkinson's because I have never seen my mother like this. Hearing the floo network, I know Parkinson has left, but I can't stop staring at my mother in awe and pride.

"Mom," I start, but I can't think of anything else to say. She turns and smirks at me.

"Where do you think you got your loyalty from?" I smile and chuckle before going to wrap her in a tight hug.

"Thank you so much," I whisper as I hug her tighter. Her hands rub my back soothingly before she chuckles. I pull out of the hug to look at her.

"No, thank you. I've always hated that girl. It felt good to bitch her out," she says. I stare at her with my mouth open in shock.

"Language, Mother!" I scold teasingly to which she responds with an eye roll.

"It was well used language. Go find Briar and then get to bed. It's been a long day," she finished before placing a kiss on my cheek and walking farther into the house. Turning to walk out the glass door that leads to the garden, I see it's officially night time. The sun has set and I have to fight a shiver when the wind swirls around me. Shivering slightly, I reach out mentally to try and contact Briar, but start to get concerned when she doesn't respond.

**_Where are you, love? She's gone. _**

No answer. The first place I want to check is the meadow because I know that's where she would feel the safest. Trying to rush there in a timely manner, I can feel the wind picking up. Taking my wand out, I cast a quick warming spell on the black sweater I'm wearing and can feel the sweater trap my remaining body heat inside. The wind still had a harsh bite to it, but my shivering was under control now.

Finally making it to the meadow, Briar isn't there. Reaching my mind out to her mentally, I can feel she's somewhere around here, but I can't see her.

**_Bry, you can come out. We need to get back inside before it gets any colder. _**

My only response is the sound of a twig snapping on my right. Whipping my head to the side, I take in the sight of her eyes through the trees and I let out a sigh of relief, but it's short lived when I realize she isn't taking any steps to come closer to me. She is also hiding in her Animagus form and I can tell she is a shivering slightly when the wind picks up again.

I tilt my head at her in confusion and wonder why she hasn't moved.

"Love, we have to get inside. You'll freeze to death out here," I say soothingly. She stares at me for a few moments before looking around. It's then that I notice she's scanning the area like she's waiting for someone to jump out at her. Looking around me, I don't notice anything out of the ordinary, but I can feel the caution in her mind. Taking a step towards her, I see her take a step back. Pushing aside the hurt I feel, I start to feel anxiety growing because something had to have happened if she stepped away from me.

Taking my wand out, I use a simple tracking spell to search for anyone in the surrounding area, but can only make out three bodies; me, my mother at the Manor, and Briar. Turning to look at her, I tell her as such.

"We're the only ones here, baby. We have to go home now before you freeze. Please?" I stare at her pleadingly as I notice she is shaking more violently. Taking a glance at the manor, I start to think of ways to get her there if she refuses to change back, but the sound of rustling catches me off guard. Briar steps out of the brush and walks to me with her head down. Her hands are rubbing her arms to try and keep the warmth in as she refuses to meet my eyes. Scanning down her body, I can see some dirt on her clothing, but chalk it up to her just being out here for so long today. That is, until I see a bruise on her neck.

Before I can say anything, she rushes past me and starts speed walking to the manor as her entire body shakes. What concerns me is now I'm not sure if she's shaking because of the cold or being of the bruise I can see peeking out of her turtleneck. Walking after her, she ignores my calls of her name and I have to push my anger down when she continues walking away from me even when she's in the manor.

"Briar!" My voice is raised enough now from anger that I see her flinch a little.

_What in Merlin's name happened in the meadow while I was in here? _

My yell seems to make her want to get upstairs much quicker, but my mother walks in with a smile making her falter. I see her glance at my mother for a moment before scurrying away up the stairs. Now, I'm in full out panic mode when I see the sadness and horror on my mother's face.

She rushes to me and whispers at me angrily.

"What in Merlin's name did you do to that girl?!"

"I didn't do anything!" My mother looks at me disbelievingly at me.

"She looked terrified and she had dried tears on her cheeks, Draco! Why was there dirt all over her?!" I grasp my hair in my hands and can feel frustrated tears welling up in my eyes, but I push them down.

"I found her like that! She wouldn't even come out of the woods for me and she kept…" I trail off and remember how she kept looking around the forest like someone was going to jump out at her and attack her.

_Was someone in the meadow waiting for her when Parkinson got here? _

I can feel my eyebrows drawing together in confusion and I can feel a headache brewing in the back on my head.

"Has she said anything?" My mother thankfully seems to believe me as her tone has softened significantly. I shake my head.

"She hasn't said anything since I found her, mentally or verbally," I conclude dejectedly. My mother nods her head.

"Don't push her," she says and I look at her in confusion. "Be there for her, but don't push her. Something obviously happened, but she won't open up until she's ready so just be patient with her and let her come to you." I nod my head in understanding and can't help, but blame Parkinson's existence for Briar's mood. I can't help but think that maybe Briar looked into her mind and knows more than she let on when I told her to go hide.

Walking towards the stairs, I make my way up to my room and find the room empty. Raising my eyebrow, I'm about to go check the rest of the Manor for her when I hear a thud from the bathroom. Treading cautiously towards the opened door, I peak around the corner and finally see her, but the sight breaks my heart. Standing in front of the mirror, I find her shirtless and scrubbing her arms raw before moving up to her chest. Her bra is soaking wet by now and I can hear her hushed sniffles as her gasps for air bounce off the walls. Rushing to her, I take the washcloth away from her and try to shush her. Gathering her into my arms, she grasps onto the front of my sweater and buries her face into my chest, but not before I can see her cheek is red.

Rubbing my hand up and down her back, I can feel her body shaking as her sobs are starting to calm down. Kissing her head lightly, I brush her hair back from her face and I can see how large the bruise is that was peeking out of her turtleneck before.

"Baby girl, what happened?" I whisper and I can feel her pull back slightly until she can look up at me. She shakes her head at me and pushes her face back into my chest as she starts sniffling again.

_What the hell happened while Parkinson was here?_

**_A/N_ What do you guys think happened to Briar? Leave your guesses below and click on that adorable little Review button below! Have a great week, everyone and stay safe! **


	44. Chapter 44

**Two weeks later**

**Draco POV**

I go back to Hogwarts today and I couldn't be any less enthusiastic about it. For the past two weeks, I've barely been able to get Briar to talk. Every night, I find myself waking up in the middle of the night to her trying to quietly cry with her arms wrapped around her knees as she sits up in bed. She never says anything; she just stares at me with those big, sad eyes before falling into my arms. No matter how many times I roll over, take her into my arms, and shush her back to sleep with her clutching onto me; I always wake up to her side of the bed already being empty.

Snape has been here every day since the forest incident to train Briar which is why I also only normally see her at night when she comes to bed. Every night is the same with her soft knocks on the door to interrupt my late-night reading that I've gotten used to doing while I wait for her. She'll knock, crawl across the bed to me, and settle herself with her back against my front while I finish reading. On the nights that she finishes training late, I'll quickly place the book on the side table, turn off the lights, and then wrap her in my arms as we cover ourselves with the covers.

The shared nightmares are what concern me the most.

Every night since finding Briar in the meadow, her mental wall has been impenetrable. At night though? I've been seeing flashes of her nightmares as if I'm her and they concern me more and more as I start to piece the scenes together. A hand hitting my cheek. Two hands wrapped around my throat. Dark eyes. A sneer. While those are the only things I've seen through the cracks of her unconscious mind, I can feel how frozen with fear she was in those moments.

I can't ask her what happened. I don't know if I want to know the answer, nor do I think I'll be able to handle the answer without wanting to murder the son of a bitch that wrapped their hands around my girl's throat.

The one thing that bothers me the most is I can't shake the thought of familiarity she felt when looking at her attacker. One relief I have? I know she wasn't sexually assaulted because when asked, she denied it vehemently by shaking her head back and forth. However, that hasn't eased my worry of what happened as she barely speaks aside from the occasional soft spoken "hey" or "good morning." So, for the past two weeks I've just tried to be as patient as possible and let her come to me like my mother suggested.

"Draco, hurry up! You need to finish packing!" I roll my eyes at my mother's reminder from downstairs and wave my wand to finish packing all of my belongings into my trunk.

"I'm done, mother!" I yell back down to her. A house elf pops in to take the luggage before disappearing just as quickly as they appeared in my room. Smoothing my all black attire, I turn to make my way out the door to my bedroom and down the stairs where my mother waits.

"Well don't you look handsome," my mother fusses as I make my way to her. I smile and kiss her cheek as she smooths the front of my dress shirt out of habit. Looking around, I notice a lack of Snape and Briar. Scrunching my eyebrows together in confusion, I look to my mother.

"Where's Briar? She said she was going to finish training early," I ask confused. My mother shrugs her shoulders and I huff before turning to walk towards the dungeons connected to the ballroom.

"Draco! Don't be long, we have to leave in thirty minutes if you want to catch the train," my mother yells after my retreating form. I raise my hand in acknowledgement before making my way down the stairs. Pushing the gate open, I see flashes of green and red flaring from Snape and Briar as they duel. Watching in fascination, I watch how quickly she deflects spells and sends a counter curse back. Snape and Briar continue fighting, not noticing my arrival, so I lean against the wall to watch. Unfortunately, I become an unknown participant to their conversation.

Snape throws a hex and I see Briar fumble slightly on her feet as her eyes glaze over. Feeling my connection with Briar's mind flare up a little, I conclude he must be trying to infiltrate her mind while fighting her. Apparently, he was successful and the walls between my mind and Briar's are more concrete than I thought when I hear his response.

"There's no room for error, Ms. Griffin. If your opponent can distract you that easily by showing you thoughts then you will lose," Snape drawls as he shoots another hex at her. She slices her wand through the air to deflect it, but he quickly swoops low to catch her legs with his next curse. I can hear her grunt in pain and it takes all of my willpower to not announce my presence and intervene.

"I know," she says quietly as she sends another hex back. Catching him off guard, she slices through his sleeve and draws some blood on his arm. Snape doesn't stop for a second and I see Briar gasp as he stares at her pointedly to project something into her mind. The split second she's caught off guard by whatever she's seeing, he throws a hex her way that makes her stumble back and slide against the floor. Thudding against a column, I can see her head hit against the unforgiving marble with a dull _thud _sound. Holding my breath, I fight to stay in place to see what will happen. Snape lets out an exaggerated sigh.

"You're not trying," he says exasperated. I watch Briar rub her head lightly before stumbling to stand.

"I am," she whispers quietly. I watch Snape throw another hex at her before she can even get her wand up or finish standing. She kneels on the ground with a whimper and he holds his wand at her. He's using the Cruciatus Curse on her.

"You're letting your guard down too much when I throw those memories at you. If I can do it, then how are you supposed to fight him when he throws his encounter at you in battle?! You won't stand a chance against him and he _will _kill you this time," he sneers. My blood runs cold when I realize Snape knows what happened in the meadow and I don't. Releasing the Cruciatus Curse, Briar abruptly stands up and throws a nasty jinx at him in retaliation that throws him against the stone wall with a resounding _crack_.

"WHAT'S THE POINT?!" Her loud yell causes me to stare at her in shock. Snape stands from the ground and brushes his robes before holding his hands in the air in surrender. Lowering her wand, Briar stands and glares at Snape as he walks to one of the practice dummies in the corner to set it up for their next training activity.

"It sounds like you don't care if you die, Ms. Griffin," Snape drawls as he walks towards the dummy. I can see her grasp her hair with her hands in frustration.

"I care if I die, Snape," she growls, "but there's nothing I can do about the flashbacks! I'm going to feel terrified the second I see him no matter how much we train. He killed Grace just because she was my friend as his initiation! He wants to kill me and I won't let that happen, but he's smarter than we thought if he could kill her in broad daylight," Briar fumes. I hear a sniffle leave her as I wrap my head around the fact her friend is dead. A murderer had his hands wrapped around Briar's throat in the meadow and I can feel my hands clench into fists.

"The Dark Lord knows about you. You always knew there was a risk of getting close to others considering your role in the final battle that will come about," Snape concludes for her.

"I knew that and I told her repeatedly that it wasn't a good idea to get close to me, but she said she didn't care and now she's dead! Who's next?! Who is he going to use against me?! Ginny? Harry? Hermione? DRACO?!" Her voice rises by the second and I can tell she's terrified of the thought of whoever this is using others against her.

"He could, but you need to remember your training! Stop fighting with your fear and start fighting with your anger and tactics! You've been training for almost a year. You're good enough to fight him. You just need to get out of your head," he says with annoyance.

Snape fires a hex that Briar blocks, but is caught off guard when another swipes her off her feet. Her head hits the hard concrete on the floor and I can practically feel the growl that leaves her chest. I almost growl when I realize how hard she hit her head.

"ENOUGH! I can't do this anymore today. I need to go see Draco before he leaves and I don't need my…" she doesn't finish though because Snape throws another curse at her which throws her onto her butt hard as she tries to stand. In a seated position, I see her throw her arms to her side and I hear her let out an outraged scream. I almost can't believe it when I see a pulse of magic hit Snape and twist him through the air before he lands hard on the ground in a crumpled pile of limbs. Groaning, he goes to stand, but Briar is pissed.

"I said ENOUGH! I'm done training and I'm tired of you not listening! I didn't want this life! I didn't choose to be different and I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE GOYLE'S TARGET OF DESIRE!" I can't stifle the gasp that leaves my throat. Briar spins around to look at me over the shoulder and her face melts into horror as she realizes I heard everything.

"Goyle's the one that attacked you in the meadow?! Why the hell didn't you tell me?!" My stance changes from my casual lean against the wall to a stiff stance of anger. I watch Snape stand and brush his robes off angrily, but I can see the pride on his face for getting under Briar's skin enough to force her natural power to come out.

"He had just told me he killed my best friend and he threatened you…I had to process so much and I…" she whispers before trailing off as she stands and starts to ring her hands in front of her in nervousness. I can see they've been training for hours as sweat gathers in droplets along every piece of skin that isn't covered by her short-sleeved shirt and shorts. I nod my head in understanding and turn my fury to Snape instead.

"And YOU! She said enough. Why didn't you stop?! You could've seriously injured her!" My throat is starting to hurt from yelling. Snape rolls his eyes at me.

"Then she would've healed herself which is part of her training too. She released her natural magic that we've been trying to target for weeks so that's all that matters. It's progress." I stare at him in disgust. Before I can rip into him about purposefully harming Briar just for a training lesson, I see her stop in front of me. Looking down to her face, I can see she's worried I'll turn my anger on her now. Taking a deep breath, I remember my mother scolding my anger and yelling at Briar the day she wouldn't talk after finding her in the woods. It didn't help then and I doubt it would help now.

"What did he do and say to you?" My voice is barely above a whisper as I plead for her to give me some answers. I see her battle mentally on what to do, but seconds later, she's raising her hand to my cheek. Leaning into her touch, I stare into her eyes and wait for her to start talking.

"He came with Pansy. They planned the whole thing," she starts and I clench my fists in irritation. "I was in the meadow in my Animagus form when I kept hearing twigs snapping so I went behind the tree you and I…" she trails off and blushes. I let out a chuckle and nod.

"Yes, I know which tree. Continue, love," I say encouragingly.

"I looked around the tree to survey the meadow and was about to start back to the Manor when I turned to look forward and he was right there sneering at me," she whispers and gulps. Her hand falls from my cheek to my shoulder and I place it between my warm hands in a comforting manner. She takes a step closer to me as if to remind herself she's not back in the woods.

I lean forward and kiss her forehead before I can feel a deep breath escape her lips towards my chest. After a few moments, she continues.

"He outright said he killed Grace and that I would be next unless I…" She closes her eyes and opens them to look into mine hesitantly. "Unless I chose him over you. He said he was the better choice and that you were already promised to Pansy, but I told him I would never choose him. He slapped me. Hard," she whispers. My hands wrap around her hand a little tighter and I have to remember to continue breathing. My hand reaches out and rubs softly where her skin is a little yellowish from the bruise his hand left.

"He kept yelling about how I would be with him because if he couldn't have me then he would make you and I suffer. He threatened to tell everyone I was alive, but I got smart with him which he didn't like. I said I would welcome him revealing I was alive because then I could come to school with you and be closer to you," she says while looking at me with a small smile. "He choked me then. He kept squeezing until I almost passed out and he didn't stop until he heard a twig snap when you were coming to find me. He immediately let go and apparated away. I was so shaken by what happened that I didn't even think about changing into my Animagus. It just happened. I ran into the brush in case it was Pansy coming to find me," she finishes barely above a whisper.

I look down and see the bruise that is finally gone except for a little yellowing.

"I'll kill him," I say in a deadly calm whisper. Briar shakes her head no.

"I don't want you talking like that. You'll have to be close to him now that he's a Death Eater so just pretend you don't know. He doesn't know you're aware I'm alive. I searched his mind when he was ranting. He thinks I'm in the woods to keep an eye on you in my other form, but he doesn't know you're aware of me being alive. You have to keep it that way." I nod my head in understanding and let go of her hand to cup both sides of her face. Gazing into her eyes, I almost miss the movement in my peripheral vision.

Snape fires a curse and I look up just in time to try and shove Briar out of the way, but with the connection fully open again, she can see it coming. In the blink of an eye, Briar is facing Snape and has her arms out in a protective stance. The curse doesn't touch us. Her natural magic flares out in front of her and the curse turns to ash in the air before raining down to the ground. Slowly, she lowers her arms in shock and I can see Snape crossing his arms in satisfaction with a smug grin. I pinch my nose in anger and frustration before realizing I've been down here for a long time and need to get upstairs so I can leave for Hogwarts.

"Protection is when your natural magic comes out. Noted," Snape says confidentially. Shaking my head, I push down my anger knowing there won't be anything I say that gets through to my god father.

"Snape, I'll see you at school. Yelling at you won't change the way you train her, but if I hear you harmed her more than necessary to the point of it being torture; you will have me to answer to," I growl. He nods his head and goes to walk up the stairs since the training session is apparently over. I glance at Briar and start up the stairs with her by my side.

"There you are! I was just about to come find you. We need to leave," my mother rushes out when we enter the ballroom. I nod my head in understanding and pull Briar in. Placing a heated kiss on her lips, I coax her mouth open with my tongue to deepen the kiss. She lets out a quiet whimper and grabs my shirts in her hands. It's the first kiss since the incident with Goyle and I hate that she pulls away so quickly. Looking down at her, I caress her cheeks in my hands as my thumbs rub back and forth.

"Don't ever shut me out of your mind again, please," I whisper as I lean my forehead against hers. I can feel her nod her head and I place a lingering kiss on her forehead before looking into her eyes again. "Visit me in my dreams as often as you can, okay?" She smiles.

"I will. Finish that task as soon as you can, okay?" I nod my head sadly as I remember the repairs I need to make on the vanishing cabinet per Snape's advice as well as murder Dumbledore. This year is quickly becoming the worst yet. Pulling away from Briar, I walk to my mother and join hands. Glancing towards Briar one last time, I hold onto the image of her smiling and waving at me before I feel my stomach tugging.

_Sixth Year at Hogwarts. Here we go, _I think bitterly.

**A/N So there's your answer! Briar was assaulted by Goyle, but not sexually. That was originally the plan, but Briar has already gone through so much pain that I couldn't put her through that too. Draco is off to sixth year in the next chapter! There will be some time jumps as I try to include as much of sixth year as I can before focusing on the end which is the most important part in my eyes. Read and review as always, loves!**


	45. Chapter 45

**Draco POV **

Placing my bags above my seat, I settle into the seat to find Blaise staring at me. Unfortunately, Pansy slides into the booth next to him and smirks at me.

"Welcome back, Draco. Aren't you excited to be back at Hogwarts? This year is going to be amazing," she flirts. Keeping my poker face on, I ignore her subtle gab at me being at Hogwarts without Briar and Pansy thinking she has a chance at winning me over.

"Hogwarts, what a pathetic excuse for a school," I say to Blaise ignoring her completely. "I'd rather pitch myself off the Astronomy Tower if I had to continue for another two years," I say. Looking out the window, I try to think of anything aside from Goyle's smirk from the table to my right.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Pansy's annoying voice reaches my ears and I turn to answer before going back to my plan of getting her out of my social circle. After her proposal for a marriage contract between our families, I spoke with my mother and she thought it would be a great idea to stay as far away from her as possible so she doesn't become a problem.

"Let's just say I don't think you'll see me wasting my time in Charms class next year," I sneer. Blaise chuckles and I have to hide my smirk knowing he's clued in to the plan as well. Him and I may not see eye to eye often, but he has been my closest friend here at Hogwarts for years. Somehow his family got him out of being a Death Eater, but he knows of my…situation.

"Amused, Blaise? We'll see just who's laughing in the end," I trail off. What Pansy doesn't know is that Blaise has been helping me research the Vanishing Cabinets since his father has many rare books in his possession. During the two weeks Briar barely spoke to me due to Goyle, I was at Blaise's Manor to dive head first into research. Blaise also knows of my plan to get rid of Pansy and thankfully, he very enthusiastically agreed.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I can feel Goyle's stare so I turn my head to meet his eyes. I pretend to be confused even though I know he's gloating silently about getting to Briar. Thankfully, my girl is smart and didn't reveal I know she's still alive. It definitely gives us an edge over him. After a few moments, my returning smirk of fake comradery is interrupted by an annoyed voice calling my name.

"Draco," Pansy says in an exasperated voice. She rolls her eyes when mine look at her with a glower. "Did you hear anything I just said?" I stay silent and turn my annoyed gaze to Blaise who places a hand subtly over his mouth to cough so she's not alerted to his amused chuckle.

Taking my silence as her answer, she huffs before leaning forward to get closer to me. I lean back into my chair to get farther away from her.

"I was saying, we should sit together in the Great Hall for dinner when we arrived to Hogwarts," she finishes with a smirk.

"And why would we do that, Parkinson?" My patience is quickly running out and it can be heard in my tone very distinctly.

"Because we're going to be engaged, of course!" She reaches a hand across the time and settles it on mine which is resting on the table. Quickly pulling my hand back as if she burned me, I can feel my anger and frustration at her overflowing. Leaning forward closer to her with my hands in fists on my lap, I speak in a low, menacing tone.

"You listen to me very closely, Parkinson. I will _never_be engaged to the likes of you or even be remotely fond of your presence. With that being said, you should leave," I finish and watch her face fall into a pout. I don't know if she thinks it's an attractive look, but it makes her lip jut out in a way that reminds me of someone with an overbite.

"But, Drackie," she whines before I cut her off.

"Leave!" My response is harsh and has a bite to it that causes the table next to me to settle into a hush to try and eavesdrop on our conversation. She pouts before standing and walking towards the back of the compartment. A few seconds later, the seat is occupied with Crabbe and I find myself genuinely chuckling along to the conversation between him and Blaise a few moments later.

Over the years at Hogwarts, I've come to realize that while Crabbe is quiet and is normally seen eating; he's amazing at easing tension and bringing light to new developments around Hogwarts. In other words, he's a gossip and Blaise and him feed off of each other, but being around them always reminds me I'm 16. I'm still a kid and it's alright to chuckle every once in a while…Okay, fine, it was Briar that knocked sense into me, but still.

Before we can get too caught up in our conversation, I notice my bag being nudged to the side a little bit.

_Potter_, I think venomously.

After a few more minutes on the train, it slows down and everyone starts to gather their belongings before standing to leave. Crabbe and Blaise stare at me in confusion as they see me sitting in my chair still with my hand under my chin in thought.

"You two go on. I wanna check something," I mutter as I stay seated in my chair. They both nod and mutter a quick "See you at dinner" before they leave with the crowd. Standing to cross to the door, I slide it closed and close the blinds once I'm the only one left.

"Didn't Mummy every tell you it was rude to eavesdrop, Potter?" Turning my head over my shoulder, I throw a hex up where I think he is settled.

"Petrificus Totalus!" With a thud, he falls to the ground. I walk towards his frozen body and reveal him under his cloak. His eyes stare up at me blankly. "Oh yeah, she was dead before you could wipe the drool off your chin," I sneer.

Raising my foot, I bring it down on his nose and hear a satisfying _crunch_emanate throughout the compartment.

"That's for Briar. Enjoy your ride back to London," I growl before throwing his cloak back over his body. Turning to retreat from the compartment, I grab my briefcase, slide open the door, and look back where I know he is laying one more time. Closing the door behind me, I walk to the door that will open up to the platform. Opening the door, I look to the left to make sure no one sees me exit before walking off towards the groups of students strides ahead of me.

* * *

Waiting for Filch to go through my luggage is like listening to fingernails running along a chalkboard. He takes a long time and questions every little item I have, including my walking stick that used to be my father's. Snape tells Filch he can vouch for me before I rip my walking stick out of Filch's hands in annoyance. Turning my head, I see Potter and Lovegood standing and watching the entire scene.

"Nice face, Potter," I sneer. His look of annoyance makes me smirk. I turn to walk into the woods that lead to the main entrance of Hogwarts and hear Snape's feet following me. Before I can even blink, my back is slammed against the trunk of a tree after we're a little way into the shrubbery.

"You need to watch yourself, Mr. Malfoy," Snape sneers in my face. I stare at him in defiance even though I can barely mask my shock at him pinning me against the tree trunk. I brush his arm off of me, but he quickly replaces it with the other to keep me pinned against the trunk.

"Release me, now," I growl. He stares at me emotionlessly and refuses my request.

"I took the unbreakable vow to protect you and I will not be put in positions just because you can't stop being childish when it comes to Mr. Potter," he sneers. I go to open my mouth to respond when he continues talking. "Don't mistake me taking an unbreakable vow for you as a way of easing your mind should you fail your task. I took it for Ms. Griffin as she worries for your safety because of your inability to not be a pigheaded, childish, and ignorant Pureblood." I stare at him in shock as I see a glare settle on his face.

"How _dare _you…"

"Stop talking," he scoffs as he releases me. I brush the front of my suit off in anger and stand with my arms to my sides in fists.

"Briar put you up to doing the unbreakable vow? Unbelievable," I pout.

"No, your mother did. I took it because I knew Ms. Griffin would be more at ease during her training with her protector if she knew I was helping you." My ears perk up when I hear mention of her mysterious protector who I have yet to be introduced to.

"And who would that be exactly?" My question is petulant and slightly moody, but I don't like that Briar has been keeping his identity a secret.

"That is privileged information as it could put both Ms. Griffin and the protector's lives at danger so I'm not going to tell you," Snape says dismissively as he walks away. I stare at his retreating form in anger and storm after him to get to Hogwarts' front entrance. It will be time to eat dinner soon and I'm famished from not eating this morning since I chose to find Briar during her training instead. It has only been a few hours, but I miss her already. I huff and push my legs to move towards the Great Hall faster in an attempt to rush through dinner so I can go to bed and see her hopefully in my dreams.

Walking into the Great Hall, I stride towards the group of Slytherins, but keep my distance and sit a few steps away from them. I'm too busy eating and trying to start formulating a plan to repair the Vanishing Cabinet that I barely see everyone streaming out of the dining hall. I had been so lost in my thoughts that I thought through the entire hour of dinner.

* * *

The first day of classes whizz by and I don't even pay attention. Standing in Potions with Professor Slughorn is torture as Granger drones on and on about the potions. Taking a deep breath, I find myself halting mid breath as I smell vanilla and sunshine. _Briar. _

Glancing up, I tune into Granger talking about the potion in front of her, Amortentia, which happens to be a love potion that can cause extreme infatuation or obsession. I smile a little that the potion is causing me to smell Briar before I tune back out. I barely even realize that Potter came into the room and is now wrestling with Wesley over something in the closet. I have too much to consider and think about to even get petty about him being here.

_Of course, Potter waltzes in late and gets all the attention. The same Potter who almost got Briar killed with his stupidity. Stupid Scar Head. _

Okay, maybe not _too _much to consider being petty towards him. The rest of the instruction flies over my head until I heard Slughorn's explanation about Liquid Luck.

"One sip and you will find that all of your endeavors succeed," Slughorn says. I find myself glancing up at him in interest. I notice Potter has an interest in his words too interestingly enough. "At least until the effects wear off," he finishes.

Quickly turning to the page he indicates, I start skimming over the potion we're to make today. I grin smugly when I realize this is a potion Snape showed me during a summer session we had years ago. Over the years, Snape has notices my interest in potions and took it upon himself to teach me what I wanted to learn. Living Death was one I didn't request, but he said I could never be too careful as learning how to make it also taught me how to avoid being poisoned by it. I learned it has a very distinct smell like black licorice.

As the class progresses, I'm almost done with the potion when Slughorn calls us all to the front to congratulate Potter on finishing the potion. Growling quietly, I march to the front with the rest of Slytherin house and find my classmates are just as annoyed at Potter as I am. Standing silently, I tune out Slughorn talking about how Potter once again is able to do no wrong and is being rewarded.

Storming through the hallways after class, I find myself standing in the meadow in the Room of Requirement. Sitting on the soft grass, I wrap my arms around my legs as I let myself think about this year. I won't be able to play Quidditch per Snape's request because he needed me focused. I won't have Briar here physically to help me. This year is going to easily be the worst if I fail the task, but even if I don't fail the task, I find myself thinking about murdering Dumbledore. I may not be his biggest fan, but I never thought about wanting him dead and now that's all I'm supposed to be thinking about.

Wrapping my arms tighter around my legs, I feel a pit in my stomach that claws its way up my body. Settling in my neck, I gulp at the tightness in my throat. It's only the first day and I'm already feeling lonelier than I have in a very long time. I haven't felt this lonely since before I met Briar. Sitting up straighter, I realize how much I've come to rely on her presence to make me strong. Just her sitting next to me gives me strength and I now understand why Snape kept her being alive from me so long. The devastation I felt when I thought she was dead was real. It was all consuming. I wanted to die without her.

Tilting my chin up in determination, I set my jaw and push my sadness away. I need to finish this task. The faster I finish it, the faster I can get back to Briar and we can go back to being in our own world away from Death Eaters, Potter, and The Order. We can go back to building a future together that didn't involve Voldemort. I can go back home; Briar.

Standing up, I brush my clothes out and turn to leave the room with a new purpose and resolve in place.

_Time to kill Dumbledore and repair the Vanishing Cabinet so I can go home. _


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N WOW it has been so long since my last update! I'm so sorry, everyone. Work has been kicking my ass and I have been trying to be outside more. Ya know, good for the soul and all of that. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and the little twists I've put in. I hope to have the next chapter up a LOT sooner than it took me to get this one up, but life happens so fingers crossed! Thank you so much to all of my readers that have been patient with my weird posting schedule as I try to find my groove with my first fan fiction. Enjoy!**

**Draco POV**

"BLOODY HELL!"

Throwing the book in my hands across the room towards the Vanishing Cabinet, it smacks against the hard wood with a resounding _WHACK._Clawing at my hair in frustration, I can feel tears of frustration pricking the corner of my eyes. Gulping heavily, I start pacing the floor back and forth muttering about the incessant task of fixing the cabinet.

Over the past few months, I haven't been able to repair the cabinet and my attempts to kill Dumbledore have failed. After using the Imperio Curse on Katie Bell to get her to deliver the cursed necklace to Dumbledore, she was almost killed. I can remember Snape's confrontation with me the day after the news spread around the school that Saint Potter thinks I was the one who cursed the necklace.

_A Few Weeks Ago_

_"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" _

_The door slams behind Snape and I flinch at the sound of the _bang _echoing around the room. I turn to face Snape who is shaking with his anger. _

_"I…" He doesn't let me get any farther before he starts yelling again. _

_"Ms. Bell was almost killed! What would possess you to think giving her the necklace to give to Dumbledore was a good idea?!" I stare at him in shock. _

_"It was your idea!" He looks at me with a dumbfounded expression. _

_"I told you that if you didn't want his blood on your hands directly that you should give the necklace to someone trusted. Someone who could deliver it to him without you being a suspect," he seethes. _

_"Exactly! The little Gryffindor girl was under my Imperio Curse to do what I asked and the spell couldn't be traced back to me," I summarize. If anything, my explanation makes Snape scowl harder. _

_"Someone under an Imperio Curse is not someone trusted! Merlin, I don't know why the Dark Lord thought you could do this," he mutters. I glare at him, but stay quiet because at this point, I'm starting to wonder if I can do this. Over the past three weeks, I haven't had contact with Briar at all and I'm starting to lose hope in fixing the cabinet, let alone kill Dumbledore. _

_"You do know Potter basically outed you to everyone, right?" I roll my eyes._

_"Potter blames me for every bad thing that happens around Hogwarts," I growl._

_"Yes, but this time he was right and do you really think the Dark Lord would like to hear Potter is onto you whether it's just a hunch or not?!" I stay quiet and stare at him in fear. _

Ever since that night, I have been avoiding Snape so I can try and figure out what moves I need to take next, but my last resort for trying to fix the Vanishing Cabinet just failed and now I'm back to square one. Not to mention that it has now been months and I haven't heard from Briar at all. I leave tonight for Christmas break and I don't even know if I'll be able to see her.

Turning towards the door, I pull at my hair one last time before ripping the door open to leave the Room of Requirement. Stalking down the dark halls, I realize it has been hours since I first entered the room to try and repair the Vanishing Cabinet and it's past curfew. Keeping my eyes peeled for any other prefects roaming the halls, I quietly and slowly walk around the halls to get to my destination; Briar's room. Every night since I came back to Hogwarts, I was able to get Snape to agree to me staying in her room since it would afford me more privacy to come and go as I please to complete my tasks. I don't know how he got Dumbledore to agree, but it worked.

"You're out awfully late, Drackie," I hear a nasally voice purr behind me. Standing still in my place, I turn slowly to face Parkinson with my patience on very thin ice for her. Over the past few months, she has made it her job to pop up wherever I am to try and push an arranged marriage on me. It has always ended with me angrily walking away and her acting like my rejection was something new.

_For Merlin's sake, can't she get the message already and leave me alone?_

"I'm not in the mood, Parkinson," I growl. She shrugs her shoulders and turns to walk away nonchalantly. I raise my eyes in shock and surprise that she is giving up that easily. As she walks away, she calls to me over her shoulder.

"I just thought you'd want to know Griffin is alive," she states.

Ice. My entire body is frozen and my eyes widen in shock, fear, and surprise. My entire body tenses and I stare at her now smirking face as she faces me.

"What?" I can barely choke the word out. She smiles deviously and starts to play with the ends of her hair. She shrugs again as if Briar being alive is discussing the weather.

"Goyle told me. He's trying to arrange a marriage to her as we speak. I just thought you should know someone lied to you about her being dead. Merry Christmas," she finishes before turning and walking away. I stand still in my place with my mind racing in many different directions.

Goyle. Briar. Marriage. Shaking my head, the assault of so many questions is put on the back burner. I haven't seen or heard from my doe in months, yet Goyle is trying to court her? I know he's aware of her being alive due to the incident in the woods, but would he really put her life in danger by setting up an arranged marriage to her?

My shoulders tense even more. Of course he would put her in danger. He just wants her as a trophy and doesn't care who gets hurt in the process, especially Briar.

Shaking my head, I make the decision that I will be going home a day early. Rushing to Briar's room, I thank Merlin that I finished packing earlier and already sent my bags to the Manor.

"Aquamarine," I whisper to the painting that now holds a doe hidden behind the tree instead of standing proudly in the middle of the meadow. Quickly closing the painting behind me, I go to the hidden Floo network Briar had installed in her closet and step inside. Grabbing some floo powder, I clear my throat to remove the fear that is creeping up my throat.

"Malfoy Manor," I say before thrusting my hand down to throw the powder onto the fireplace floor. Waiting for the green flames to settle, I barely take a second before yelling out for my mother.

"MOTHER!" Looking around wildly, I feel my confusion increase when I notice there are dresses strewn all over the couch in the living room. Shaking my head, I focus on my goal of figuring out what the Merlin is going on. I call for my mother again, louder this time and she comes rushing into the foyer with a huge smile on her face. Wrapping me in her arms, she pulls me into a bone crushing hug.

"DRACO! Oh Merlin, I've missed you so much," she states. Pulling back, she keeps her arms around my waist as she looks me up and down to appraise me. "You look great! How was your first half of the year?" Her smile slowly starts to disappear when she sees the anger on my face.

"Draco, what's wrong?"

"Goyle. He's trying to set up an arranged marriage with Briar. Parkinson just told me," I growl. My mother's face doesn't show anything except for sadness. "You knew," I say in disbelief. She looks at me sadly.

"Draco, let me…"

"NO! You knew and didn't tell me? You let me be blindsided?! What the hell has been going on mother? Where is Briar and why haven't I heard from her in months?!" My mother looks at me with slight annoyance at my cutting her off, but I can't feel bad when she was the one keeping me in the dark.

"Draco, Briar has been training with her protector! She has been very busy and I'm sorry you have been out of the loop, but it was safer for everyone if she wasn't seen wandering Hogwarts," my mother tries to rationalize with me. I roll my eyes.

"Obviously, I know that mother! She could've visited me at night like she did when she was in her coma, but she hasn't! I want to know what the bloody hell is going on and I want to know now!"

My mother goes to answer me when we're interrupted by a giggle. A giggle that used to be reserved for early morning wake up calls when I would kiss said person awake until it turned into a tickle war. A giggle that would be heard in response to said person's nose being tickled by my kiss. A giggle I thought was only reserved for me. Looking up I see Briar running into the foyer with a man running after her in jest.

"You cheated! Snape said to disarm me, not conjure puppies to lick me to death," Briar says teasingly.

"But they're puppies! They're your weakness which technically is what disarming entails so I followed Snape's instructions," the male says. The same male I never thought I'd see in my house…Flirting with my girlfriend.

"What the bloody hell is going on here?!" I roar loudly. Both of them look at me in shock.

"Draco!" Briar's voice sounds excited, but her big smile falls when she sees my face. She chuckles nervously and rubs the back of her neck. "This uh…This is my protector assigned to me by Snape," she mumbles nervously. I chuckle darkly in anger and disbelief while taking a step forward with my fists clenched to my side as I eye her "protector" up and down.

"Hey, mate," he says cheerfully.

_Briar's protector is Blaise?!_


	47. Chapter 47

**Warning! This has a VERY graphic fun time between our two lovers because I think they deserve it after all the drama they've been through. Hopefully this chapter answers some questions you guys have. Up to now, are there any questions you wanted answered in future chapters?! Leave the questions below at that beautiful review button! Enjoy, loves! **

**Briar POV**

"Faster!" I roll my eyes for the third time in the past twenty minutes at Snape's reminder to do better and be faster. Over the past few months, Blaise and I have been training side by side to try and build a synchronicity when dueling and fighting as it will give us more of an advantage on the battlefield. One thing I learned from being Harry's protector is that if you trust your protector, you'll survive longer. Unfortunately, Harry didn't trust my judgement that day in the Ministry of Magic and it could've ended my life. I have made it my priority to trust Blaise as it can save both of our lives on the battlefield.

Speaking of Blaise, I've learned he has little quirks that remind me of Cedric when he was alive. Training the past few months has built a friendship and I find myself looking to him as a brother figure that I haven't had since Cedric was murdered. Blaise has become one of my closest friends. Well, he is my only friend as Snape doesn't think it's a good idea for me to have any contact outside of the Manor, especially to contact Draco.

_Draco._

A sad smile graces my lips when I think of how I've been unable to visit him in his dreams. Unfortunately, Snape didn't tell me my bond with Draco couldn't exist while I had a protector because I had to be bonded with Blaise instead. As a protector, Blaise has the ability to connect with me mentally when I allow him in on the battlefield or during training. It's not a two-way bond like Draco and I have because all Snape did was perform a spell that would bind our minds, but it's strong regardless. While I enjoy having an extra advantage on the battlefield, I miss Draco and the presence of him in my head.

_THUD!_

I turn to see Blaise has taken down one of the practice dummies which means we finished our "mission" for the day and it's now his turn to disarm me. Turning to me, I raise my wand defensively, but find myself crinkling my brow in confusion when I see Blaise smirk in my direction. Before I can cast a defensive spell, a litter of puppies are on top of me as I lay on the ground and they're all licking my face. I giggle in happiness and silently thank Blaise for making practice more bearable. It has been a rough few months and we rarely have time to act like the teenagers we are.

"Mr. Zabini, I said to disarm her. Do you think this is a game?" Snape drawls, but I can see a slight smile on his face as he watches me scoop up one of the puppies so I can place kisses all over it's little face.

"I think she's pretty distracted and disarmed, if I do say so myself," Blaise says in a smug tone as he crosses his arms over his chest. I look at the little puppy in my arms and stare into its blue eyes and find myself thinking of Draco yet again. He would be returning home for Christmas break soon and I can't wait to finally be in his arms again.

"I'm going to name you, Sky," I coo at the little puppy in my arms. Its tongue hangs out of its mouth and I see it smile up at me. I turn my beaming smile in Blaise's direction. "Awww he's smiling at me! Look, Blaise!" Blaise chuckles at me and shakes his head.

"Yes, it seems she is," he says. Glancing down again, I realize all the puppies are gone and I pout up at Blaise.

"Rude," I mutter. I stand up and huff at him and cross my arms over my chest. Snape goes to leave the room signaling our training is finally done for the day and Blaise walks over to throw his arm around my shoulders. He starts to walk me towards the dining room so we can go eat dinner and ask Narcissa when Draco will be arriving.

"Awwww don't be angry at me. You couldn't keep the puppy forever," he teases.

"I could've! Draco and I would be great parents," I pout childishly.

"Oh? Would you really? Does Draco know he's going to be a father? I didn't know you were with child," he teases. I roll my eyes.

"Obviously, I'm talking about the puppy, Blaise. I would know if I was pregnant," I huff playfully. I continue walking and make the mistake of not watching him.

"I better check," he shouts and attacks my stomach with his hands. I squeal and start running away from him. "Now look who's properly disarmed!" Running around the corner, I find myself running into the foyer with Blaise hot on my heels.

"You cheated! Snape said to disarm me, not conjure puppies to lick me to death," I say teasingly.

"But they're puppies! They're your weakness which technically is what disarming entails so I followed Snape's instructions," Blaise says in a matter of fact tone.

"What the bloody hell is going on here?!" I turn my head towards the source of the yelling and see Draco standing there. Oh, Merlin how I've missed him. I take a quick once over and find warmth spreading throughout my body at seeing him after so long. A huge smile overtakes my face as I yell his name, but I stop short when I see his face. My smile falls when I see a deep scowl etched into his face.

I chuckle nervously as I see he's angry for some reason and rub the back of my neck when I hear Blaise stop behind me.

"This uh…This is my protector assigned to me by Snape," I mumble nervously as I watch him chuckle in a very humorless way. I notice his hands are clenched at his side as her eyes Blaise up and down. Blaise throws his arm around my shoulders as if he is immune to Draco's glare. I can feel myself stiffen as I watch Draco eye his arm around me with distain.

"Hey, mate," he says cheerfully. I watch Draco's eyes narrow in anger. Quickly analyzing the situation, I realize he must be angry at Blaise's presence and I honestly can't hold in my excitement at seeing him. He may be angry at Blaise being here, but he's my protector and he needs to be here so we can work on keeping each other alive. Quietly deciding I'll deal with Draco's jealousy later, I feel my lips spread into a huge smile again and start to run towards him. I see his eyes widen in confusion for a moment before I jump to wrap my legs around him and my arms slide around his neck. I bury my nose into his neck and find myself melting as I inhale the smell that is just _Draco _and sigh when his arms wrap tightly around me.

"I've missed you so much," I say and hear my voice quiver slightly as I remember all the nights I had a hard time getting to sleep without him by my side. His arms tighten around me when I say that and I feel his muscles relax a little bit at my affection. I unwrap my legs from around him, but keep my arms tight around his neck and bury one hand in his hair, reveling in how soft it is.

_Merlin, I've missed feeling his hair between my fingers. _

"Briar, what the bloody hell is going on?" I can hear he's trying to keep his anger under control and I appreciate his effort to wait until he hears my side of the story, but I'm also confused by his question. I pull back and look into his eyes and see his jealousy, anger, and sadness swirling in his eyes as he battles to figure out which emotion should take prominence.

"What do you mean? Blaise was appointed my protector by Snape and we've been training the past few months. You know I wasn't allowed to tell you who my protector was, but now that you've seen him, it doesn't really matter anymore," I say with a shrug and hear Snape walk into the room behind us.

"Why haven't I heard from you?" I can hear the sadness in his voice and I can feel his confusion radiating off of his body. I have to take a moment to look at him in confusion because Snape told me he informed Draco about our bond being on hold until after I broke the bond with Blaise. Once the final battle is done, Snape will lift the bonding spell he placed on us and Draco and I will be able to bond once again.

"What do you mean? Snape told me he informed you about my bond with Blaise and how our bond will be renewed once the final battle is done? Once my mission is complete, you and I will be able to get our bond back," I explain with confusion written all over my face. I see Draco's eyes light up in anger and before I can even stop him, he's in front of Blaise and his fist has connected with Blaise's face.

"You bonded with her?! I'll kill you!" My eyes widen as I realize Draco thinks I slept with Blaise. He leans down and is about to hit Blaise again who is spitting blood on the floor, but I step between them and place my hands on either side of Draco's face. Before I can even say anything, Draco rips my hands off his face and he takes a step back in disgust. I can feel my anger rising as I turn to look at Snape.

"What the hell, Severus?! You told me you were updating Draco!" Snape shrugs his shoulders.

"Mr. Malfoy has enough on his plate and he needed to stay focused," he finishes. I can feel my shoulders tense in anger.

"So, you let him think I was ignoring him all this time instead of telling him you bonded me and Blaise?" I turn to look at Draco as I see his fists clench at his sides again. "I know what you're thinking, Draco Malfoy and how _dare_you think I would sleep with Blaise," I growl in annoyance. I see him look down in shame and I swing around to look at Snape again. Blaise has now gotten up and is wiping the rest of the blood off of the corner of his lip.

"Really, mate? You had to go for the face? This is my money maker," Blaise groans and I find myself rolling my eyes. The last thing he should be doing is egging on an angry Draco.

"Severus, go home. Training is put on hold the entire Christmas break," I say with an air of finality. I see him open his mouth in protest, but I cut him off. "I don't want to hear anything from you other than a goodbye. You never should've lied to me or Draco. You and Blaise can continue practicing, but I'm taking a break while Draco's home," I growl.

I turn to Blaise and share an apologetic smile with him. He comes over and gives me a hug before kissing the top of my head.

"I'll see you after the break, love. You take care of yourself and don't get _too _out of shape," he teases. I chuckle softly and find myself silently thanking him for being able to lighten any situation. Both of them leave the room and I see Snape angrily glare at me one last time before stalking out of the room. I turn to look at Draco and see Narcissa is standing over by the fireplace in shock.

"I'm so sorry, Narcissa. I thought Severus was updating him," I whisper apologetically. She gives me a small smile and before I know it, she's wrapping her arms around me in a motherly embrace. I find myself missing Molly, but quickly shake that thought out of my head before I can get upset.

"You have nothing to apologize for," she says before turning to Draco. "You, however, better apologize for thinking so low of Briar. I've watched her mope around the Manor at night because she can't sleep without you and the first thing you do is accuse her of sleeping with your best friend?!" I flush in embarrassment as I didn't realize Narcissa had seen me walking around the Manor in the early hours of the morning when I missed Draco. "I'm ashamed of you and you better start apologizing the second I leave!"

She turns to look at me and places her hand on my cheek with a small smile. Turning to glare at Draco one last time, she turns and walks out of the room to leave Draco and me alone. I stand in front of him with my arms crossed in anger and wait for him to start apologizing.

"Well?" I stare at him expectantly and see him look up at me. While he still seems embarrassed at jumping to the conclusion of me sleeping with Blaise so quickly, I can also see some underlying anger from when he first saw Blaise chasing after me. Before I can even comprehend that he moved, I feel his hand in mine dragging me upstairs. Stumbling over a stair, I'm able to right myself quickly and follow behind Draco. While I'm confused on what he's doing, I can't help, but get excited when I realize he's headed towards his bedroom.

Turning the corner, he drags me into his room before I feel my back being pushed against the closed door harshly. His lips meet mine in a frenzied kiss and I can feel his teeth scrape my bottom lip before he sucks it into his mouth. His tongue licks my bottom lip possessively and I hear the distinct sound of him locking the door behind me. Leaning back after a few moments, he breathes harshly as his forehead rests against mine. His words come out in puffs against my lips.

"I'm sorry I assumed you slept with Blaise. I just saw his arm around you and I…" He doesn't finish his sentence, but instead groans before pushing his hard on against my thigh as his lips latch onto my neck.

"Draco," I gasp. I can feel my panties getting wetter by the second and I let out a whimper when his hand slides into the front of my training pants. His finger seeks out my clit and starts to rub it teasingly.

"Mmmm you're so wet, baby. Is that all for me?" I let out a gasp when his finger slowly glides across my slick folds before quickly entering inside me.

"Fuck, Dray. Please," I groan. I open my eyes and stare at his dark irises that are almost pitch black in arousal. He nips at my bottom lip before leaning away from me slightly again. I chase his lips and whine when he doesn't let me kiss his lips.

"Answer my question. Who are you soaked for right now?" His voice is husky and so low that I can only describe it as a growl.

"You," I say breathlessly as he adds another finger to pump into me. I push my hips toward him, silently begging him for more. He groans and rewards me with a hungry kiss. His tongue seeks mine out and he quickly wins the battle for dominance. My hand reaches around and grasps his shirt desperately to bring him closer until his free hand slams my hand above my head against the door.

"No touching until I tell you it's alright," he growls and I find myself getting even wetter. At this point, I'm trying to rub against his fingers inside me harder, but I know I won't be satisfied until I can finally have him inside me again. It's been months since the last time I had him and seeing him get possessive over me has me practically begging him to slam his cock inside me.

"I need you. Please, I'm yours. Just please. I need to feel you," I beg. His thumb joins his two fingers that are torturing me, but it rubs against my clit. I would have thought that would help relieve the ache inside me, it makes me want him even more.

"I didn't hear you. Who's doe are you?" I smile at him slightly and see his eyes are vulnerable. He needs to know I still want him and not someone else. Staring into his eyes, I lean forward to place a slow burning kiss onto his lips before whispering against them.

"I'm yours, Draco. I always will be," I whisper affectionately and that's when he loses it. I almost scream finally when I hear his pants buckle being unbuckled. He yanks his fingers out of me and brings them to his face to lick each digit as he stares me in the eyes. I stare at him in hunger and groan when I hear him groan in approval at the taste of me on his fingers.

"You taste so good, baby girl. I can't wait to have my cock so deep inside you, you can't walk straight tomorrow. Turn around and face the door," he orders.

_Yes! _I find myself screaming in my head. We've only tried this position one other time, but he gets so into claiming me as his that I enjoy every second of being his submissive. I love when he gets possessive and orders me around in the bedroom.

Turning towards the door, I feel him slide my pants and panties off in one swift move and I have to bite my lip to quiet my whine as I feel him slide each pleasurable inch of him inside me from behind. My fingers dig into the wood of the door and I push back towards him to take more of him greedily. Once he is fully inside me, he doesn't give me any time to adjust before he's thrusting hard and deep into me. I groan as his arms come around and grab my breasts as his thumbs rub my nipples.

"You feel so good, baby. It's like your pussy was made to have my cock in it. Tell me, who's pussy is this?" I whimper as he thrusts my body forward towards the door over and over again.

"Yours. Always yours," I moan helplessly. All I can focus on now is how good he feels driving into me over and over again. I feel his lips on the side of my neck and I don't hesitate to tilt my head to the side so he can suck on the sensitive skin there. I know he wants to mark me, but I just feel myself getting more soaked at the idea.

"Oh, you like when I mark you, don't you? You like other guys knowing who you belong to?" I nod my head as I'm unable to string a coherent sentence together at this time. He continues to thrust into me again and again before I start to feel the first signs of my orgasm approaching. I notice his thrusts are getting more desperate which means he's just as close as I am.

"Yes! Dray. Close. Please. Fuck," I whimper out as I can barely speak. My mouth opens in a silent scream as I feel my walls clench around him greedily. I hear him groan my name behind me and I can feel him finishing with me. Slowly, his thrusts slow to a stop before he pulls out and I slump against the wall. Before I can slide to the floor in a boneless puddle, his arms wrap around me and I find my head cradled under his chin with his arms stroking up and down my back soothingly.

"I've missed you too, my doe," I hear him whisper as my eyes start to close in exhaustion from our love making, but also from training since early this morning. The last thing I remember before I slip into much needed sleep after months of not sleeping properly is Draco's lips pressed against my head before I feel him lay us on the bed. Once my head falls into the crook of his neck, I feel the covers being pulled over my naked body and strong arms wrap around me before I succumb to a dreamless sleep.


	48. Chapter 48

**Hello, my lovelies! I'm so sorry it has been awhile, but work has been grueling as we are short staffed and, you know, we're in a pandemic so that's a thing. I hope this chapter answers any questions you guys have so far and I hope to get some reviews after so I know you all haven't given up on the story. Again, I'm so sorry it has taken me awhile to upload, BUT this chapter as well as the next are already done so I will try to get back to once a week like before! Here is a long chapter from Draco's POV to make up for me being gone for so long! Enjoy, my loves!**

**Draco POV **

Waking up, I squint against the sun streaming through my curtains. Groaning and turning my head to the side, I look down to glance at a sleeping Briar cuddled against the side of my body. Smiling softly, I notice her hand is curled against the side of my stomach while her other hand lays flat, palm down on my chest below her cheek. Her bare body is pressed closely to mine and I can feel every curve. Pushing down my morning arousal, I focus on her peaceful face that is sporting a small, carefree smile.

Lifting my hand, I brush some of the hair that has fallen forward from her face so I can see it more clearly. She lets out a sigh of contentment and scoots impossibly closer to my body. Wrapping my left arm around her tighter, I remember how Blaise's arm was slung over her shoulders nonchalantly after they came running into the room together. I can feel my jealousy rising as the questions from yesterday come flooding back.

Why did Blaise put his arm around her like he has done it before? How were they bonded if they didn't have sex? Is their connection like ours? Is it stronger? Why were there dresses strewn everywhere downstairs? How did Goyle and Pansy come to working together and how much of a threat are they really? Did Goyle succeed in arranging a marriage between him and Briar? Is that why my mother was aware of the situation? What the hell has been going on for the past few months while I was at Hogwarts?

"Mmmmm you're thinking so loudly, my dragon," Briar sleepily mumbles to me. I press a soft kiss to her forehead and run my fingertips down the length of her arm before my fingers intertwine with hers on my stomach. Pulling her hand to my lips, I place a soft kiss to the back of her hand before placing it gently on the bed as I slide off to stand up.

"I'm sorry, beautiful. I'm going to go downstairs for a little bit, but I'll be right back. Try to get some more sleep. You look exhausted," I whisper soothingly. I slide my arm out from under her and watch as she curls to the side to push her face into my pillow with a sleepy smile gracing her face.

"Okay. Don't be too long," she whispers almost inaudibly. I pull the covers to her shoulders to hide her naked body and smile softly as I caress the side of her cheek affectionately. She hums in appreciation before I see her body succumb back to sleep.

Turning, I quietly walk towards my bedroom door where I stripped our clothes off last night. I pick up the clothes and throw all of them to the designated area for the house elf to clean up, but leave the button up I had been wearing on the bed as well as a pair of my boxer briefs Briar likes. Briar doesn't know I noticed she loves wearing my clothes especially when they smell like me so that will be something for her to smile about when she wakes up.

Quickly grabbing a pair of emerald green, flannel pajama pants with an embroidered "S" on them; I find myself halting as I go to open the door. I look over my shoulder at Briar in curiosity as I realize she said I was thinking loudly before. Could that mean…?

**_I love you, my doe._ **

I stare at her as she shifts slightly in her sleep.

"Love you too," she mumbles before being pulled back to sleep again. I quirk my eyebrow in interest as our connection supposedly wasn't active while she was bonded with Blaise. I can't help, but feel a bit smug at knowing our connection was still intact. I turn with a smirk on my lips as I walk downstairs and follow the sound of voices to the dining room.

Turning into the dining room, I find the long, black table filled with breakfast foods as my mother and Blaise sit talking. I watch as he laughs heartily and grabs for an apple on the table. Before taking a big bite out of the apple, he passes the sugar to my mother for her tea.

"No! She couldn't believe I took the puppies away," Blaise says while still laughing. My mother shakes her head with a wide smile on her lips as she accepts the sugar. Scooping a generous amount of sugar into her tea, she holds the tea a few inches away from her lips to answer; her eyes wide in shock.

"Oh, the poor dear. That was cruel, Blaise! You could've let her keep Sky at least," she scolds teasingly.

_Great, so he's not only bonding with my girlfriend, but he's having a pow wow with my mother too. _

While I know it's harsh to be envious of my best friend, seeing him with Briar yesterday had left a bad taste in my mouth. Now that I think about it, the bad feeling swirls in my stomach even worse when I think of how he would be the one designated to protect her with his life instead of me. I already failed her and here he is being trained to be ready to put his life on the line for her without a second guess.

Shaking my head slightly to clear my head, I make the decision it's time to make my presence known so I can get on with getting my questions answered. Walking the rest of the way into the room, I plop down onto a chair across from Blaise and grab a shiny green apple in front of me on the table.

"Who is Sky?" I take a bite out of the apple and stare Blaise down as he smirks in my direction. Crunching on the apple, I feel my bitterness increase at his response.

"It's Briar's puppy child she wanted to raise with you," he says before turning to smirk at my mother. "She said her and Draco would be great parents and I teasingly asked if Draco knew he was going to be a Dad," he says chuckling before turning back to me with a smug grin on his face as he leans back in his chair. "Our girl is quite the feisty one, isn't she?"

I can feel my fists clench at my sides, but try to get into my school persona that father would be proud of. Loosening my hands from their fists, I plaster an arrogant smirk on my face and cross my arms across my naked chest. I see his eyes glance down at the reddish mark Briar's lips left on my collarbone the night before and watch as his smirk slips a little.

"Yes, _my _girl is quite the feisty one if I do say so myself," I say tilting my head to silently challenge him. I lift my hand with the apple in it and take another bite before continuing on with my words. "Oh, by the way, I was surprised to find out my bond with her was still active? I thought the bond between you two was supposed to cancel ours out?"

I take a bite into the apple as I pretend to be intrigued. I could really care less, to be honest. If anything, I find myself smirking in pride that our connection was so strong that Blaise couldn't cancel it out as her protector.

"It is?" I hear my mother gasp. I glance at her and nod my head in affirmation.

"Snape said that wasn't possible," Blaise grumbles in confusion. I shrug my shoulders in response to his reply. Taking another bite out of the apple, I chew thoughtfully as I study him. After a few moments, I speak up and ask the question I know will provoke him.

"Our bond must just be stronger than a protector's bond, whatever that is," I say indifferently. "So, Blaise, what exactly are you doing here?"

"Draco!" I turn to look at my mother with my eyebrow cocked in question. Her look of disbelief plastered on her face should make me feel shame, but right now my school persona is keeping my jealousy and vulnerability at bay.

"I'm Briar's protector so I stay here to practice with her, Snape, and help around where I'm needed," he says vaguely. My mother huffs and stands to briskly walk out of the room as she realizes this is about to be an ego battle that doesn't include her. I faintly hear her mutter something about Neanderthals before I fire the next question at him.

"And where exactly are you needed outside of the training room?" I take another bite of my apple to keep any smart retorts from slipping out of my mouth. Blaise raises an eyebrow and I can tell he knows how much he's getting under my skin. Blaise and I have always been close friends, but there has always been some sort of competition between us as we're both the only heirs of our wealthy Pureblood families. I'll be damned if he tries to turn Briar into a challenge because there's no way in hell he's going to take my girl. I already have Goyle and Pansy trying to tear us apart, I'm sure as hell not going to let my best friend be added to that mix.

"Well, Briar has been quite sad with you being gone so sometimes I would find her wandering around the Manor at odd hours of the night or morning. Mostly, I'm needed to lend an ear as she talks about what's bothering her and keeping her up, but more often than not, I'm just needed to be a shoulder to cry on. When that doesn't work, I take her for a walk around the property to calm her down. Did you know there's a beautiful meadow a few minutes away from here?" he finishes with a cocky smirk.

_Why that little…_

"Hmmmm," I say thoughtfully as I reign in my anger at Briar being close enough to touch him, let alone use him as a shoulder to cry on while I've been at school. Not to mention, he went with Briar to _OUR _meadow?! "How is training going?" I grit out before my teeth rip into the shiny skin of the apple as I can feel my anger rising. I can't let him know he's baiting me as successfully as he is after hearing my special place with Briar has been shared with him.

"Pretty well! Briar is one strong woman. We do physical training as well as mental, but the physical training is hard even for a fit bloke like me. Let me tell you, Briar does it so efficiently that I've rarely seen her out of breath. She has some _amazing _stamina," he trails off reflectively as if thinking about a situation where she used stamina.

I slam the apple core on the table and lean forward to rest my arms on the table. My mind starts thinking of all the possibilities and I can feel my persona cracking as I think of my best friend and girlfriend in…compromising situations. Crossing my arms in front of me on the table, I can feel my muscles in my arms flexing; begging to punch him in the face again.

"How's your face feeling after that nasty punch yesterday?" I growl my question at him and watch him lean forward with a smug smile on his face. He mirrors my position and places his apple on the table as well.

"Nothing a little potion couldn't heal. Although, I do prefer when Briar heals me. Her tiny little hands wrapped around my injured leg. It's easy to imagine them wrapped around my…" He trails off and I stand up abruptly as I cut him off by slamming my hands onto the table, causing the glassware to clatter against each other loudly. Leaning forward towards him, I can feel my entire body tense up at what he's implying and I can feel my body almost shaking in anger.

"Listen here, you son of a bitch and you listen closely. Keep Briar out of your inappropriate thoughts or I will personally find you and kill you myself. I don't care that you're her protector. I will gladly drop out of school to replace you and do your job ten times better. Dark Lord be damned. The only person allowed to think of Briar in _that _way is me because I'm the only one she will ever share those moments with if I have anything to say about it," I snarl.

The bastard chuckles and leans back to cross his arms over his chest.

"Yes, _if _you have a say in it," he says teasingly. I slam my fists on the table again and pull my wand out of my pants pocket where I hid them. Getting into a dueling stance, I see him do the same.

"I swear on everything that is holy, Blaise. If you _ever _touch her," I start, but he cuts me off.

"Oh, but I already have, my dear friend. Or did you not see my arm draped across her shoulders yesterday?" I let out a sound that vibrates deep in my chest and can only be described as a growl as I feel a nasty jinx coil up on my tongue ready to be unleashed.

Opening my mouth, my jinx is halted on my lips as I hear someone clearing their throat behind me. Snapping my head towards the sound, I see Briar standing behind me in just my button up dress shirt with her arms crossed across her chest. My anger dissipates a little when I see her mused hair from just waking up, but it flares back up as I realize her legs are bare and look sexy as hell in my shirt. My head whips around and I see Blaise appraising her legs.

"Blaise," I growl and watch as his eyes snap to mine. He smirks in response and I find myself raising my wand again.

"Draco Malfoy, you lower that wand right now," Briar snarls from behind me. Blaise's smirk gets wider, if that's even possible, as I lower it slowly. I snap my head to her and watch as she walks over to me with a confused, yet displeased look on her face.

"Good morning, beautiful," Blaise says from behind me as I turn to face Briar. I clutch my wand tightly at his greeting and watch as Briar looks to him, smiles with a head nod, and turns to look at me again as her smile slips from her face.

Standing in front of me, she glances at my wand before gazing into my eyes again. I automatically put the wand in my enchanted pocket and am rewarded with a small smile from her. She scans my face for a few moments and I can feel her presence in my head as she replays the past few minutes. Pursing her lips, her eyes fleetingly look to Blaise before looking at me again.

My head is hung in shame at this point and I can barely look her in the eyes so I'm surprised when I feel her arms loop around my neck to pull me down to her. Pushing up onto her tiptoes slightly, she leans into me and places a slow, yet heated kiss to my lips. I respond eagerly and pull her lip between my teeth as I soothe the bite with my tongue. My hands clutch at the material around her waist to bring her closer. Leaning in again, her lips capture my bottom lip between hers before slowly pulling away. I lean towards her for another kiss, but open my eyes when I feel her arms slide down to my bare chest.

_**He's goading you, my dragon. Nothing ever happened with us and he will never be more than a brother figure to me. Please, no fighting. I need both of you to win this war.** _

I feel my shoulders and anger float away from my body as I hear her in my head. I nod my head and watch her eyes widen in shock. She didn't know the connection still worked between us. I send her a small smile and kiss her forehead.

"Yes, our connection is open again, my love," I whisper and watch a huge smile spread across her face. She laughs happily before leaning forward to give me a celebratory peck on the lips. She seems to remember Blaise is here and she pulls back to step to the side so I'm not blocking her view. I wrap my arms around her from the side and stare down at her lovingly as I kiss the top of her head. I feel her lean into me before I hear her voice addressing Blaise.

"Well, now that both of you guys are awake, we can figure some things out?" I pull back and look at her in shock and see Blaise is slightly confused about her not addressing the obvious fight that almost happened between us before. I turn to look at Blaise who is staring at Briar with an eyebrow raised.

"That sounds like a good plan. After you," he says and gestures towards the living room. She releases herself from my grasp and I watch her hips sway away from me and towards the couch. Snapping out of my lust induced gaze at the view of her thighs barely being covered by my shirt, I snap my head towards Blaise to see his eyes fixated on her ass.

"Blaise," I growl. He raises his hands in surrender. While part of me is surprised he listened, there's also a part of me that is grateful he seems to be backing down a little. Whether it's because he's trying to stay on Briar's good side or if he is actually going to respect Briar is with me; that's a question for another time.

Walking to the couch, I go to sit next to Briar who has grabbed a blanket to cover her legs. I watch as Blaise sits on the couch across from us as I sit. Lifting the blanket, I grab Briar's legs and lift them so they're resting over my thighs with her back supported by the pillow at the end of the couch. Draping the blanket over her bare legs, I keep one hand on her thigh as the other wraps around her back in an embrace.

"First thing's first, you two are going to drop whatever ego issue you have with the other. Blaise, you are my protector so I need to be able to trust you and vice versa. I don't need you trying to cause a rift between Draco and me because we already have Goyle and Pansy to do that," she starts. I see Blaise nod in understanding.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Bry. It won't happen again," he says sincerely and I find myself shocked at how easily he listened to her. I guess as her protector though, they need to be able to respect the other's wishes if they want to be compatible enough to protect each other on the battle field.

Turning her head to address me next, I stare into her eyes as I see her opening herself up to me. Her mind is completely open if I feel the need to confirm what she's about to tell me next.

"Dray, over the past few months, Snape told me my connection with you wouldn't be able to stay open as Blaise had a connection with me. Snape performed a binding spell that allows me to let Blaise into my mind and vice versa, but only on the battle field. We do train with it, but it's only open when both parties invite the other into each other's minds. It's not like ours where we can enter each other's minds whenever we need or want to. I'm not sure how our connection is still intact right now so I'd have to speak with Severus about that, but I'm glad it is. I missed having you in my head," she explains. I smile and nod my head in understanding that I don't have any questions so far.

"He had questions about our relationship," Blaise says teasingly. I turn to glare at him and I hear Briar chuckle next to me. I stare at her in shock and slight annoyance.

"Blaise is like the annoying older brother I didn't want. As we got closer during training, I found myself filling the hole Ced left with Blaise. Yes, Draco, he has been there for me at odd hours in the morning to help me through missing you, but it's like a sibling love between us. He's just an asshole who likes pushing your buttons," she spits in annoyance as she turns to look at Blaise who starts laughing hysterically.

"I'm sorry, man. It was just too easy! However, please know I would never look at Briar in that way. I know how much she means to you especially after I saw how you shut down when you thought she was dead. Granted, I thought she was actually dead at the time until Snape recruited me, but I couldn't stand seeing how empty your eyes were as you wandered around Hogwarts. You're like a brother to me, Draco. I know we fight sometimes, but I would never overstep like Goyle has and go for your girl," he finishes. I stare at him in awe and find myself standing to pull him into a hug. He pats my back and lets out a chuckle.

"Thank you," I whisper and pull back to clasp his shoulder. He returns the gesture and smirks.

"You're welcome, although, nice legs, Briar," he flirts. I turn my head and see me standing had moved the blanket so Briar's legs were on display again. She rolls her eyes and covers her legs with the blanket again. I turn to look at him and shove him back in mock annoyance causing him to laugh.

"Jackass," I grunt as I turn to walk back to Briar. Both of them are laughing at my expense now so I crawl on the side of Briar between her and the couch and wrap my arms around her so my head can rest on her chest. Her arms wrap around me and I snuggle in, breathing in Briar's scent; vanilla and sunshine.

"Awwww, he's like a little puppy, Briar! You don't need Sky," Blaise teases and I stick my tongue out at him before nuzzling back into Briar's chest.

"Hey! I was devastated I couldn't keep Sky," she grumbles and I hear Blaise laugh. Letting the corners of my lips pull into a small smile, I feel Briar's fingers combing through my hair soothingly as they banter back and forth. Waking up this morning, my most prominent thought was I was going to lose my girl to my best friend. My most prominent thought now? How grateful I am for the both of them as the war comes closer and closer. My last thought before Briar's fingers lull me into sleep is how much she has changed my life in the past year and how grateful I am to have her here with me.

**_I'm grateful for you too, my dragon. _**

I lean up to place a kiss on her neck next to where I marked her the night before. I can feel her release a slight shiver and hug me closer before I give in to my exhaustion of not sleeping the past few nights. I promise myself I'll only sleep for a little bit and then speak with Briar about what happened the past few months and hope she can help me with my task because I was running out of time and ideas.

**Briar POV**

"He's just the cutest little puppy," Blaise teases. I roll my eyes and continue to run my fingers through Draco's hair as he sleeps.

"Oh shush, you. He must be exhausted after trying to finish his task. Snape told me he has barely been sleeping because he's been trying to get it done as quickly as possible. He doesn't want blood on his hands," I whisper quickly.

"Briar…" Blaise trails off.

"I know," I breath out. "I know eventually he's going to get blood on his hands in the war, but I don't want him to kill Dumbledore if he can find a loop hole. I don't know if he'll survive it. He has the biggest heart, Blaise." I find myself smiling as I say this.

"What has he tried?" I look away from Draco's peaceful face and meet Blaise's eyes.

"Snape told me he tried to use the Imperio Curse on Katie Bell to get it done with a necklace Snape gave him, but Katie ended up almost dying. Snape gave him a bottle of poisoned ale to try next and hopefully that does it. He told me about him crashing Slughorn's party, Blaise." Blaise nods his head.

"I overheard you two. Briar, you have to understand that Draco hates asking for help. He wants to finish this task and prove himself. His entire _life _has been about proving himself so I get that he told Snape he was chosen and he didn't want help. It's part of why he immediately tried to fight me when he thought I was going after you. He's in a constant state of trying to prove he's good enough because of his father. Now, was sneaking into Slughorn's office to plant the ale in his office during a Christmas party the _best _idea? Merlin no, but I do get what he was aiming for. I just wish the stupid bloke hadn't become a Death Eater. This situation would be so much easier," he concludes. I find myself nodding my head before I look down at his face. He has a slight frown marring his handsome features.

"I just want this to be over. Every night I have to sleep without him by my side is another night I worry he won't be coming back to me. I know this is war and there will be casualties, but if he's one of those casualties…" I trail off and swallow a lump in my throat as my watery eyes pierce into Blaise's brown eyes.

"We will protect him. You have my word, Briar," Blaise promises. I nod my head and sniffle slightly causing Draco to stir slightly. I quickly start to hum a lullaby my mother used to sing to me and run my fingers through his hair and down to his cheek to lightly caress it. A small smile graces his lips as he snuggles in closer to me.

"Bry," he mumbles sleepily. I smile knowing he's dreaming of me as I slip into his mind untraced. I see us in the meadow laughing and having a picnic before I pull out of his mind.

"He's dreaming of us," I whisper in awe before turning to look at Blaise. He smiles at me in response.

"That boy is head over heels in love with you, Briar. I'm not surprised you're always on his mind, even in sleep," he whispers humbly.

"I feel lost when I'm not with him. I feel like a part of me is missing when he's not next to me and I can't keep him safe. I don't know how I'll focus in battle if he's not near me. It's one of my biggest fears," I whisper.

"That's one of Draco's biggest fears," Narcissa says from behind me. I turn my head in surprise and see her smiling softly at the view of him snuggled into me.

"Me not being with him in battle?" She shakes her head and looks me directly in the eye.

"No, the war and you being involved in general. He's afraid you won't survive while protecting Harry because he thinks he'll do something stupid and put you in danger again," she summarizes. I nod my head in understanding as I've had that same fear as well.

"She'll be protected. I have her back and we both know Draco will do everything he can to protect her during battle as well," Blaise says to comfort us. I nod my head in agreement and look to Narcissa to see she's staring at Draco again.

"I haven't seen him snuggle into someone since he was a little boy. The last time he cuddled me while he was asleep was when he was five. It was the night before his father brought him hunting for muggles for the first time," she says with distain dripping from her lips at the last part. "After that, something in him changed and he seemed scared of getting attached to anyone. He stopped showing his emotions as much and was always matter of fact. Cold almost. You changed that and I can't thank you enough," Narcissa whispers gratefully as she makes direct eye contact with me. I give her a watery smile.

"I can't thank you enough for bringing him into this world. Before him, I was a loner with one friend who, unfortunately, is now dead. I was afraid to get attached in fear they would be used against me by Voldemort once I had to complete my task. Draco was the one to remind me love is strength, not weakness," I whisper.

"You taught me that as well, my love," Draco whispers. I turn my head to look down at him in shock as I didn't realize he had woken up. He pulls himself up slightly so his head is level with mine and only a few inches away.

"Hey, I'm sorry if we woke you," I whisper as I can tell he's still waking up. He shakes his head and kisses my forehead lightly before yawning loudly. I giggle and kiss his nose in response which earns me a smile from him.

"I'm glad I woke up so I could be a part of that conversation. What did I miss?"

"Oh, just Briar professing her undying love for you," Blaise teases. I blush because it's not exactly a lie and hide my face in Draco's neck in embarrassment as he chuckles.

"Well, I can't complain about that," he says teasingly. I nudge him in annoyance which pulls another chuckle from him and his arms wrapping around me.

"Briar, before I forgot, I wanted to ask if you chose a dress?!" I turn to Narcissa and nod my head.

"The long silver one for sure. It will look amazing with your hair and complexion," I conclude. She claps her hands excitedly and smiles.

"Thank you! I knew there was something about that one," she says more to herself than anyone else.

"Dress for what? I was wondering what all of those dresses strewn in here before were," Draco questions.

"Your mother has that Christmas ball to attend, remember?" I watch him nod his head.

"Oh yeah! I can't believe it's been a year since our first Christmas together. I can't wait to see your face when you see your presents," he says enticingly.

"And I with yours," I say with a smile on my face. I caress his cheek and watch him lean into my palm.

"I'm going to barf," Blaise mocks in jest.

"Oh, sod off, you ass," I tease before sticking my tongue out at him. He playfully puts his hand on his chest and looks to Narcissa in horror.

"Do you hear how I'm treated, Narcissa? I don't know how much more my ego can take," he says dramatically. Narcissa chuckles and rolls her eyes.

"Your ego can take a few more hits, that I'm sure of," she smirks and watches as Blaise's shocked face turns to me. I burst out laughing and am brought back to reality when I can feel Draco's apprehension in my mind. I turn to look at him and see him studying my face in concern.

"What's wrong, Dray?" I try to smooth his worry crease between his eyebrows causing his eyes to meet mine.

"Speaking of egos…Goyle?" I freeze and feel my shoulders stiffen as I have flashbacks of that day in the meadow. I try to push the memories away and I can feel Draco caressing my hand in a soothing manner. His hand grounds me enough for me to pull out of the memory long enough to hear the beginning of Narcissa' explanation.

"That little snake has been sending me owls weekly demanding I give him Briar's hand in marriage. He can't come forward about her being alive because he knows that will put the possibility of a marriage contract at risk. Your little groupie has been harassing me too, Draco," she huffs in reference to Pansy.

"They both know I'm alive, Dray. I was able to get into Pansy's mind when she was here. They have help from someone who promised me to Goyle and you to Pansy. I couldn't see who it is because they had blocks up and it was just a quick glance into her mind, but Goyle's mind had the same person in his memories as well when I read him in the woods that day he…" I trail off and feel him rub my arm again. I look up and find his worried eyes are looking into mine with concern. He turns to my mother.

"Is there any possibility…" Narcissa cuts him off.

"Never. There is no way either of them are getting to you two. It would have to be over my dead body. Now, I don't want you to worry about those two psychopaths anymore. Christmas is in a few days and it will be the second time we don't have to worry about Lucius ruining it so I say we celebrate and have a family day and spend the day together here in the Manor!"

Looking at Narcissa in awe, I smile thinking of all of us as a mini family and find myself feeling happier and more carefree in the past few hours than I have in the past few months. Agreeing wholeheartedly, I relax into Draco's body and enjoy the conversation of all of us planning Christmas in a few days. After replying I want to find a way to see Molly and Sirius for a little while and figuring that obstacle out, I take a deep breath and realize this is the first time I haven't had to worry about fighting for my life in the upcoming war.

I know this feeling won't last so I try to stay in the moment and soak up the last seconds of carefree happiness with the people I love.

**A/N WOW that felt so good to get back to editing and writing. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I hope I get some reviews! I can't wait to see you what you guys liked and disliked about this chapter because you all keep me going! The next chapter is already finished, but needs some editing so I will be releasing it on the weekend or early next week so keep an eye out! Goodnight, lovelies!**

**UPDATED CHAPTER! I added some from Briar's POV. It was originally part of another chapter, but I thought it flowed better with this chapter so enjoy the addition while I try to finish editing the next chapter!**


	49. Chapter 49

**Briar POV**

**A Few Days Later**

My second Christmas with Draco. Since I'm confined to the Manor, I had Narcissa go out with a list of things I needed for Draco's present. I felt bad enough about Narcissa insisting on paying for all of it that I only asked her to get the main gift, but after hearing Draco say presents the other day; now I'm wondering if I need to get him more. Maybe I can run out and sneak into Diagon Alley to pick out something small, but personal? It's Christmas Day so maybe no one would even pay attention to me?

My thoughts are interrupted by a sleepy groan.

"Briar, turn your anxiety off," he mumbles. I turn around with a sigh and look into his sleepy eyes as he squints against the light streaming through the window.

"I'm sorry. Last minute planning," I whisper as I brush some hair off of his forehead. He hums before turning his head into the pillow with a pained groan.

"It's so bright! Where are those stupid house elves," he complains. I laugh and move to get out of the bed which gets his attention. I can practically feel his eyes racking down my body as I strut to the window in just his undershirt. The straps are too big so one of them is resting in the middle of my bicep, but I don't move to fix it.

"You're such a spoiled little prat, you know that?" I tease lightly as I reach up to close the drapes. Looking over my shoulder, I see he has rolled over to his back and is now staring openly at my thighs as the undershirt barely covers my ass.

Turning to walk over to him, I see him lick his lips as one hand rests under his propped-up head and the other rests on his bare stomach. He hums in answer.

"I guess I am," he agrees in a deep tone. I almost stop to squeeze my thighs together knowing what that husky tone means. I shrug my shoulder causing the strap to fall further down my bicep, catching his attention.

"As long as you know it," I state nonchalantly. I reach my mind out to see what he's thinking and find myself standing still in shock with a gasp. I'm now only two steps away from the bed, but it feels further after seeing Draco's thoughts. I've just found the perfect additional Christmas gift to give him.

He raises an eyebrow at me in interest at my sudden stop. I can see his fingers twitch in an effort to not reach out to me.

"Everything okay, love?" His voice is barely above a whisper and I find myself taking a deep, shuddering breath before answering.

"No," my voice breaks. I clear my throat and clear my head so he can't see my plans. "You've been very naughty this year, Draco, and I think you need to be punished. Consider it a part of your Christmas gift from me," I breath.

I watch in interest as his throat bobs as he gulps.

"And what exactly is my present?" His eyes rove over my body and watches as my hands grip the edge of his undershirt. Walking the last few steps to his bed, I get onto the bed to straddle him. His hands grip my thighs greedily as his eyes move down to where his shirt is centimeters away from revealing my lack of panties to him.

Leaning forward, I place my hands on his chest so our faces are inches away from each other. I place a slow and lingering kiss on his lips before making my way down to his ear. Letting my lips rest against the shell, my breath washes over his ear and neck. A smug smirk graces my lips when I see goosebumps raise on his skin.

"You always have to be in control and I don't find that fair. It's very stressful," I start as my hands make their way down his bare chest. Stopping at his boxer briefs, I rest my fingertips against the thick, black band teasingly. "Your gift is me, but there's a catch to that."

Leaning black slightly, I look into his blue eyes that have darkened with arousal.

"What's the catch?" His voice is a breathy whisper and I smirk in response as I lean back so I'm sitting directly against his growing excitement. Crossing my arms to clutch the bottom of his undershirt, I tease it up a little bit so he can see the darkened spot on his boxers where I'm seated.

He groans in a deep growl and his hands start to slide up my thigh to reach the apex of my thighs. I grasp both of his hands and shove them above his head onto his pillow. Now that my face is close to his again, I can see the excitement and shock swirling in those baby blues.

"I'm in control," I whisper and let my tongue come out to trace his bottom lip teasingly. His eyes stare at me in awe and shock and I can feel him twitch against the inside of my thigh.

Kissing down his body, I soon find myself staring up at him as I lick just above his underwear band. He groans and pushes his hips closer to my face in need as one hand comes down to caress my hair. I smirk in response before getting off of his body. Walking over to his closet, I can almost hear his confusion bouncing around in his brain.

"Where are you going?!" I almost laugh at how easy it was to have him give up control. Grabbing what I need from his closet, I turn around to face him again and start to walk closer to him as I run his silk tie in my hands sensually. His mouth is slightly opened when he sees what's in my hands as he rests on his elbows.

"Well, you don't seem capable of keeping your hands to yourself, Mr. Malfoy, so I need to make sure you behave. We can't have you thinking anyone, but me is in control, now can we?" I slide untraced into his mind and see he's not thinking of anything, but me stroking his tie.

Making my way back over to him, I grab both his hands. Wrapping the tie around both of them, I quickly secure it before tying it to the headboard.

"You did that pretty fast," he says huskily. He tries to pull against the headboard, but the tie stays in place and doesn't budge. I chuckle slightly and let one hand caress his cheek, down his chest, and rest on his stomach as I walk to where I mounted him before. Removing his boxer briefs quickly, I straddle him once more and can feel him sliding against my entrance. He groans and tries to pull his arms against the restraints again, but with no change.

"You won't be going anywhere. Training has taught me well so you might as well just sit back and enjoy your present," I purr. Grasping him in my hand, I slowly slide down his shaft and let out a groan of appreciation at the feeling of him stretching me.

Slowly lifting myself up and down, I find my rhythm before leaning forward slightly so my clit is stimulated. I moan and realize I've closed my eyes when I hear Dray groan underneath me.

"Faster," he growls. Taking a moment to swirl my hips, I giggle at his frustration when his head pushes into his pillow with a deep groan of my name. My giggle quickly turns into a gasp, however, when he thrusts up hard causing him to hit my g spot. I sink back down onto him and keep my mewl of pleasure inside as I still all movement once I've encased all of him inside me. His head flies up with wide eyes as he stares at me.

"What did I say, Mr. Malfoy?" He rolls his eyes so I lean a hand forward and pinch his nipple. He gasps in shock and arousal. Staring into my eyes, he glares and snaps his hips forward again to try and gain control.

My response is flicking his nipple. He lets out a ragged pant and I watch as his fists clench in frustration.

"Bry, _move_," he whimpers. I shake my head, but quickly add words when I see his head is pushed back into his pillow again in concentration to not move his hips.

"No. _I'm _in charge here. No moving unless I say so. Understood?" He lifts his head and nods his head quickly.

"Yes, whatever. Just _please_! _Move_!" I smirk at his begging and start to move again; this time a little faster and rougher. Soon, I'm bouncing up and down on his cock with wild abandon and his groans have become desperate.

I can feel my orgasm starting to approach, but then Draco tries to gain control again. I feel his hips snap forward again and I have to stop myself from continuing to ride him like I desperately want to. Stopping all movement once he's fully inside me, I glare at him and watch as his eyes widen in a silent plea.

"I'm sorry," he pants out. "I'm sorry! I couldn't help it. Please don't stop," he begs. I smirk and decide I like the sound of him begging.

"What exactly are you apologizing for?" If he wasn't so close to his orgasm, I know he would've given me a snarky comment. His response, however, tells me just how close he is.

"I tried to take control. I'm sorry. You're in control," he begs. I watch his fists clenching and unclenching in an effort to not move. His eyes tell a different story as they keep glancing back and forth between where we're joined and my face.

I reward him with moving again. He moans a "yes" as I start to move faster as I quickly approach my peak.

"Yes, I'm in control. Whose cock is this, Draco?" His eyes rip their gaze away from my bouncing tits and meet my eyes. His eyes dilate as he stares into my eyes.

"Yours," he says with authority. I smirk at him and start to ride him harder and faster.

"Who are you going to cum for?" He groans and I can see the veins bulging in his arms as he attempts to get out of the restraints.

"You, baby," he moans. Rubbing my clit against him, I can feel myself starting to clench around him as my thrusts become more and more frantic.

"Whose name is going to come out of that beautiful mouth when you cum?" My question is a breathy whisper as I start to tremble. His eyes soften and I can feel his cock starting to expand meaning he's close as well.

"Yours, baby girl," he growls. Hearing his growl is the last straw for me and I ride him in short, hard thrusts as my entire body tenses hard.

"Say it," I gasp as I feel my orgasm crash over me.

"Fuck, Briar!"

As I continue moving up and down to guide Draco through his orgasm, I can feel my body relaxing. On shaky legs as I try to catch my breath, I climb off of his softening member and stumble to the floor to walk over to his bound hands.

The moment he's untied, I find myself on my back in the middle of the bed with him wrapped around my body. His head rests in the crook of my neck as he places soft kisses where my shoulder meets my neck as his arms surround me. Lifting my left hand, I let my fingers play with his slightly dampened hair.

"Thank you," he whispers before placing another lingering kiss on my skin. I giggle and kiss his forehead in response.

"No, thank _you _for that amazing idea your brain thought of," I tease. He groans as he realizes I was able to get into his mind without his detection while he was eye fucking me.

"I should've known you cheated and used my fantasy against me," he taunts. I scoff.

"Oh shush. You loved me taking control." I can feel a smile spread across his face against my shoulder.

"Maybe," he drawls lazily. Kissing his forehead again, I peel myself from his embrace and start to walk to the wardrobe to get my clothes for the day.

"Come on, we have to get ready," I say excitedly. I'm met with a groan of disapproval.

"Nooooooo, come back to bed. I want to show you who's _really _in control here," he growls playfully.

I turn to him with a look of mock outrage. He smirks and goes to get out of bed and I take a moment to appraise him in all of his naked glory.

_Maybe we do have time for another round…_

Now, standing in front of me; he grabs my hand to drag me into the bathroom behind him. Before he pulls me after him, however, he whispers into my ear.

"Yes, we do," he teases before nipping my neck.

I groan and willingly get pulled into the bathroom.

* * *

After another two rounds in the bathroom, I'm feeling refreshed and ready to celebrate Christmas. Draco has already gotten dressed and I shoved him out of the bedroom before he could tease me into a fourth round of sex.

Grabbing my deep green sweater dress, I pull it on over my head before fluffing my hair out. Settling on my thigh high, black velvet flat heeled boots; I wave my wand to do some simple mascara, put on blush lip gloss, and make my hair wavy. Smiling to myself in the mirror, I grab my wand so I can place it in my boot and make my way downstairs.

Walking into the family room, I admire the twinkling lights Narcissa and I hung around the room as well as the tall Christmas tree. The smell of pine permeates throughout the room and I find myself remembering Christmases with my family. Quickly clearing my thoughts, I realize Draco and Narcissa aren't the only ones in the family room.

"SIRIUS!" Grabbing him into a tight bear hug, I can feel and hear him chuckle in delight.

"Hello, sweetheart! How are you holding up here?" I lean back and smile up at him.

"I love it. Although, Snape is getting on my nerves," I mumble. Ever since he lied about filling Draco in on my progress and the bond with Blaise, I've only seen him once and that was to tell him to leave. He had come to try and get me to train even though I was clear training was on hold while Draco was home. Thankfully, Blaise was able to come up with good reasons of why I should take the break. Nothing was resolved about why Draco and my connection was back either. Snape said that it could have been our "rejoining" as he called it, but he wasn't sure if it was the sex or just the bond the two of us have. However, on the bright side, he was pretty sure it wouldn't be disappearing again when Draco went back to school.

"Snape has that effect on people," he teases with a wink. I giggle and turn my attention to his companion.

"Molly," I whisper as I can feel tears welling up in my eyes. I grip her in a tight hug and feel her hugging me back just as hard.

"Oh, my dear! I've missed you so much," she whispers as she pulls me impossibly closer. A throat clears behind me and I whirl around to see the last person I expect.

"Hey Briar. Nice to see you alive," they say shyly. I stare at them with a mouth gaping wide open.

"How…? What…? HARRY?!" He nods his head and rubs the back of his neck in uncertainty.

"I was over at Sirius's the other day and overheard Molly and him talking about Narcissa inviting them over as a surprise Christmas gift for you. They filled me in on what has been happening the past few months," he finishes and looks up at me. I can tell his eyes are starting to well up with emotion.

Before I can even think, I rush over and pull him into a hug. I can feel the anger and jealousy coursing through me from my connection with Draco, but I push it to the side and focus on my own emotions.

"I've missed you so much," he whispers as he pulls me closer. After a few moments of feeling happiness at being reunited with my friend, I can feel the anger of him not listening to me flaring up. Pulling away from the hug, I punch his arm hard in anger.

"HARRY!" He looks at me in shock and hurt.

"OW, BRIAR!"

"That's my girl," I can hear Draco say joking to Molly. I can hear her giggle quietly next to him, but my entire focus is on Harry in front of me.

"I TOLD you that it was a trick! You almost KILLED ME!" He looks down in shame and nods his head.

"I know, I'm so sorry, Briar. If I could go back and change what I did, I would," he mumbles dejectedly. I let out a huff and cross my arms over my chest.

"Fine, but next time you listen to me and do as I say. Got it?" He looks up at me in surprise and nods his head eagerly.

**_Look at you taking control of two men in one day._**

I wait for Draco to realize what he just said and I can feel the second his jealousy flares up inside my head.

**_Wait! _**

I giggle and go to hug Harry again.

"Merry Christmas, Harry," I murmur.

"Merry Christmas, Briar," he whispers back.

As I pull back and turn to face Narcissa, Draco, Molly, and Sirius, there's a loud commotion from the kitchen before the door bangs open.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!" Blaise comes walking out of the kitchen with some presents in his arms and places them under the tree before bypassing everyone to come over to me. Picking me up, he spins me around causing me to giggle in excitement. He turns to look at everyone else in the room before pouting at me.

"You all started without me? Come on! I mean, seriously, Briar? You have two love sick puppies, two mother figures, and a father figure, but you didn't even think about the brother figure?!" I roll my eyes.

"Merry Christmas, Blaise. Lets go open your present from me. It's a nice slice of modesty," I tease.

"Oh ha ha, you're _so _funny," he says as he wraps his arm around my shoulder. We walk towards Draco to get past him to the couches. "Seriously, Draco, _our _girl is a jokester!"

"_My _girl, Blaise," he grumbles as Blaise waves a hand at him in dismissal.

"Yeah yeah yeah," he tuts before pulling me to sit next to him on the couch. Giggling, I make room for Draco to sit on the other side of me where he promptly pulls me into his arms protectively. I give him a kiss on the cheek and a wink as everyone else comes to join us in the living room so we can all open gifts.

Glancing around the room, I appraise the odd group that have all come together for Christmas because they know each other through me. I'm quickly snapped out of my thoughts when boxes are placed in front of me so I can start opening everyone's presents and I love all of them.

Blaise got me a novel I had raved about when we first became friends. He quickly gets a hug that Draco mumbles about, but I love how the two of them are starting to get along better. The day Blaise admitted he only saw me as a friend and would never try to steal me from Draco had been a great step in their trust for each other.

Sirius got me a feather from Buckbeak that was enchanted to write secret messages. The person would need to know the phrase for the message to reveal itself. It reminds me a lot of the Marauder's Map that Fred and George gave Harry years ago.

Harry blushes and apologizes for not being able to get me anything.

"I'm sorry, I just found out you were alive three days ago. I was kind of processing that," he says uncomfortably. I smile at him in reassurance.

"I'm just glad you know I'm alive, Harry. That's a great Christmas present in itself that you're one less person that's being lied to." He smiles at me, but his smile falls quickly when Draco opens his mouth.

"No one else knows she's alive except for the people in this room, Snape, and Mad Eye. It's going to stay that way, _Potter_," he growls. Harry nods his head causing Draco to lean back and pull me tighter into his side.

**_Go easy on him, Dray. _**

**_Not when he can get you killed. _**

I let out a huff realizing he's probably right to be cautious now that the number of people who know I'm alive has grown.

Molly and Narcissa actually got me a joined present and got me a few sweaters, one of which Molly made. Inside the box was also a photo book from Molly. I open it and stifle a gasp as a sob makes its way to my throat.

"How…" It's my parents. I see a photo of them in the hallways of Hogwarts as they laugh about something and I find myself tracing the photo in admiration. They were High School sweethearts.

"Those two were inseparable in High School. I was looking through my old Hogwarts photos and found this one. One of my best friends was a photographer and loved sneaking moments like this. She was really talented," she says in awe. I get up and embrace her tightly before moving to Narcissa next.

"Thank you, both of you. You've both been the mother figures I need and it has helped me so much in the past year and a half. I can't even begin to thank you for all that you've done for me," I whisper as my throat starts to close up and the tears spill over.

"You can thank us by fighting your little heart out and staying alive," Narcissa says sternly. I laugh and nod my head in agreement before making my way back over to Draco. After passing my presents around, I'm met with a chorus of gratitude from everyone. I got Narcissa and Molly matching pearls that my mother had left to me in her will. Sirius got an old journal my father loved reading about magical creatures and inventions. Blaise got a gag gift of a framed photo of us standing side by side from a few weeks ago that I had signed.

"For when I get famous for saving your ass in battle," I tease. He laughs boisterously and gives me a wet kiss on the cheek to which I pretend to throw up at.

"Ew," Draco mumbles playfully. I stick my tongue out at him childishly and feel myself melt as he smiles warmly back at me. Blushing, I grab his gift and hand it to him nervously, hoping he'll like it.

He unwraps the present quickly and once he sees what's inside, he stares at me in shock.

"Briar, I can't take this," he whispers to me in awe. In his hands is my father's broom that I had Narcissa get from my childhood home. Most of my fond memories is of my father and I sitting in the living room talking about his days playing Quidditch. He was the most celebrated Seeker in his class and he always said this broom was his lucky charm.

"Yes, you can. He would want you to have it because he would've loved you just as I love you. Draco, I know you haven't been able to play this year because of certain…circumstances, but when you can play again, I want you to have this. My father always said it was his lucky charm and we've talked about how celebrated he was at Hogwarts. There's no one else in this world that I would want to have this other than you," I finish with a tone of finality. Grabbing the back of my neck, he kisses me deeply before pulling back leaving me dazed and wanting more.

"I love you," he whispers as his forehead rests against mine.

"I love you too," I reply back without hesitation. He stands abruptly and goes to the tree before reaching behind it to produce a small, wrapped present. He stands in front of me before shyly handing it to me without meeting my eyes.

Blaise gets up and joins everyone else on the other side of the room. Raising my eyebrow at Draco, he smiles shyly and tells me to open the present. Gently, I unwrap the wrapping paper from the box and am met with a velvet box. Staring up at him curiously, I decide to tease a little.

"Draco Malfoy, are you proposing to me or something?" I chuckle a little with a shake of my head, but stop when I see a blush rise into his cheeks. He gently grabs the box from my hands before getting down on one knee. A gasp comes out of my mouth and my hands clasp over it in surprise.

Opening the box, I'm met with an intricately made, rose gold ring with a sapphire in the center with a smaller emerald on either side of the center stone. It's simple yet elegant and I find tears quickly building up in my eyes.

"Briar Griffin, I know I said I got you multiple presents so let me explain," he teases slightly causing me to chuckle nervously. "Before I met you, I didn't know what it meant to be willing to sacrifice yourself for someone else. That day in the woods, I felt an instant connection with you and then immediately berated myself for being attracted to a woodland creature for the better part of three months."

Behind him, everyone laughs and I join in as we all laugh at his fantasizing of a doe.

"A few months ago, when I thought you had died…" he trails off and I can hear he is trying to keep tears at bay. "I was _so_ angry, Bry. I was so angry at the world for taking you away from me, but I was mostly angry at myself for not protecting you better. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you, protecting you, and being by your side. Briar Griffin, will you please do me the extraordinary honor of becoming my wife when this war is over?"

I smile and start furiously nodding my head. His eyes widen in shock and he stands immediately when I raise from the couch.

"Yes?"

"YES!" I jump up and wrap my arms around him tightly and silently thank everyone and everything that brought me to this moment. I pull back and he slides the ring onto my finger and I can't help, but stare at it in awe.

"It's so beautiful, Dray," I whisper.

"You're beautiful," he whispers and lifts my chin to capture my lips in a heated kiss. The only thing stopping us from kissing longer is when I hear a shout from behind him. We break apart in shock and turn to find Molly and Narcissa hugging.

"I'm going to be a mother in law!" Narcissa's enthusiasm has all of us laughing and it isn't long before she has both Draco and I in a warm embrace. She pulls my face between her two hands as Draco's arms are still wrapped around me.

"I've always thought of you as a daughter, but I can't wait to officially call you my daughter in law. Or even just my daughter, if you'll allow it?" Her question is so tentative and hesitant that it melts my heart.

"Of course, I'll allow it, Narcissa," I say before shaking my head. "I'm sorry, I mean _Mom_," I whisper. She smiles and pulls us into an embrace again and I can't help, but think today is the day everything changes.

Here, in the arms of my family and with people that love and care about me; I know I'll fight as hard as I can. I will fight to keep my family safe. I will fight to get through this war and win. I will fight to kill Voldemort.

**HAHA! So I did the thing where the lovebirds get a happy engagement. YOU'RE WELCOME! Hehe, I hope you guys enjoyed and I'll be looking out for those lovely reviews I love so much! Until next time, lovelies! **


	50. Chapter 50

**Hey lovies! Yes, I know, I suck for it being this long before an update, but ya know, Rona making life difficult and complicated. Here's an extra-long chapter to make up for it, starting with a dream sequence from Briar! I want at least five reviews before I upload the next chapter so get to reviewing with questions, comments, and predictions! I've missed hearing from all of you!**

**Briar POV **

**Darkness. That's the first thing I notice when I look around. The second thing I notice is how cold the stone floor is on my scantily clad body. Donning only a button down from Draco, I let out a slight shiver as I sit up to take in my surroundings while rubbing my arms to coax some warmth into my arms again.**

**Bars. Grey. Dampness. It doesn't take much to realize I'm in a dungeon of some kind. Shuffling my legs to try and stand up, I wince when I feel soreness in my left leg, indicating it was healing. Glancing down, I see dried blood on my leg and a scar above my kneecap. Someone broke my leg to try and incapacitate me. **

**Laughter. **

**"Oh look, the little baby is waking up," I hear a sickeningly sweet voice taunt. Glancing to the right, I see a silhouette of three people. Two are obviously female and one male, but it's too dark to recognize anyone. **

**"Why am I here?" My voice is gravelly like I haven't had water in a few days and I start to wonder how long I've been in this dungeon. **

**"You know why you're here, Briar," the male snarls as he steps closer to my cell. My blood runs cold as I realize I know that voice. **

**Stepping into the light, I see his features and cruel smile as he stares down at me. **

**"How's your leg, Griffin?" I stare up in horror at the person who broke my leg. **

**Goyle. **

"NO!" Gasping, I sit up in bed and quickly pull my leg out from under the sheets to examine it. I gently rub the area that's going to be broken soon and wince as I remember the soreness that had settled below my knee cap.

Glancing around the room that has become mine at The Order over the past few months, I see it's only 7:30 in the morning and my training with Snape won't be starting for another two hours. Focusing my eyes next to the alarm clock, I see the photograph of Draco getting down on one knee in front of me from Christmas. I smile and take a moment to let that happiness seep in at the fact that he's now my fiancée until the war is over and we can start planning the wedding. Narcissa and Molly already have more ideas than I can wrap my head around and their enthusiasm has my smile widening uncontrollably.

Shaking the rest of the sleep out of my mind, I focus on the premonition I just had and silently start to worry. I didn't recognize the place I was being held, but I also couldn't feel my wand. Maybe it's time to have Severus train me harder on my wandless magic and harnessing my natural power through my emotions just as a precaution.

Slipping out of bed, I quickly pull on black shorts and a green t-shirt before making my way downstairs. Turning the corner towards the dining room, I see Molly and Sirius talking in frantic whispers.

"She doesn't need more stress, Sirius," Molly whispers harshly with her back facing me. I watch as Sirius pulls at his hair in frustration and I find myself thinking about how Draco does the same when he's stressed.

"She deserves to know, Molly!" I roll my eyes at their attempt to protect me from something yet again.

"Haven't we learned that keeping me out of the loop is a bad idea?" My voice is agitated from the emotions of my premonition, but also people trying to decide what's best for me without my input.

Both of them whip around in surprise and stare at me with guilt all over their faces from being caught. I go over to the counter to grab a green apple from the basket and take a bite with a raised eyebrow as I wait for someone to start explaining. After Molly gives Sirius a stern look, he shakes his head and focuses his attention on me.

"It's about Bellatrix. Severus believes she's working with two accomplices to try and get to you." I nod my head tiredly.

"Yeah, I know," I say in defeat. Now that he mentioned her name, I realize the first voice I heard in my premonition was, indeed, Bellatrix. "I had a premonition a few minutes ago with Goyle in it and thought I recognized one of the female's voices."

"Wait, Goyle and Bellatrix are working together?" Sirius looks at me with concern etched on his face, but my attention is brought to Molly when she asks her question.

"One of the female's voices? Who was the other woman there?" I shrug my shoulders and go to take a bite of the apple in my hand. Chewing quickly, I swallow and answer her question.

"I don't know. It was too dark in the cell to see the faces except for Goyle when he stepped into the light," I say nonchalantly, but don't realize my mistake until I see the horror on Molly's face and anger on Sirius's face.

"CELL?!" Both of them scream in unity causing me to cringe. I open my mouth to answer when my necklace sends a white-hot pulse of heat where it's settled between my breasts. I gasp in pain at how hot it is and the apple falls out of my hand as I grasp the necklace in both hands to examine it. The eyes are bright blue to the point where it seems to be glowing, but the part that concerns me the most is that the heat hasn't stopped.

"I need to go," I breathe as I race to the fireplace and throw some floo powder down quickly. Stepping out of Severus's fireplace into his office, I start to pace when I realize he isn't there.

_**Dray?! Where are you? **_

I'm met with silence and that makes me panic even more. My Animagus starts to feel restless so I send my mind out to see if I can feel Draco and I'm immediately running into the hallway in a panic. Thankfully, there's no one in the hall because it's around breakfast time, but in my panic, I don't care if anyone sees me. I need to get to Draco.

Taking a corner quickly, I stumble into a student rushing in the opposite direction, but I barely pay attention to her as I quickly yell a "Sorry!" as my feet keep rushing down the corridor. Finally, I make it around the last turn and start charging toward the Prefect bathroom.

I can hear my feet slapping against the wet ground and can feel droplets of water splashing around my exposed legs. Making my way to the door, I can hear someone gasping and sobbing in pain as well as a deep voice reciting a reversal spell. Taking the last few steps, I skid to a halt and slip on some water, causing it to splash onto my clothing as I bend down to stop myself from falling. Flipping my now slightly damp hair out of the way, I see Snape on the ground over a sobbing and bloody Draco. I can feel my heart clench in pain before turning my head and seeing Harry standing in shock by one of the stalls. I can feel anger rising quickly inside of me.

"What the HELL did you do, Harry?!" His eyes snap to me in surprise as Snape's do as well. I charge to Harry and shove him against one of the stall doors and hold an elbow against his neck threateningly.

"Bry…" He trails off and I can feel my anger getting worse at his lack of response.

"I'm only going to ask one more time, Harry Potter. What the hell did you do to him," I question in a low growl. He starts shaking his head and I can feel and see him gulp in nervousness.

"I'm sorry, Briar, but he deserved it," he mumbles. I let out a snarl in anger and whip my wand out to press it to his neck.

"Briar," Snape's voice berates in a sharp tone. I turn my head to look at him as my wand presses into Harry's neck menacingly. "You need to leave," he snaps. Opening my mouth to tell him where to shove it, I'm cut off by a sob coming from Draco's mouth. Without even realizing it, I let out a whimper at hearing his pain and turn to run to his side.

Placing my wand back in its holster, I kneel down next to him and caress his cheek to wipe a stray tear off of his pain ridden face. His head turns to me and I see a slight grimace, that I'm sure was supposed to be an attempt at a smile, grace his face when his eyes lock with mine.

"What happened?!" I glance up at Severus and try to hold back my tears.

"Mr. Potter hit him with a curse. It seems the two of them were dueling," Snape says. I widen my eyes and turn to look at Draco. I'm sucked into his memory and watch the scene unfold.

**_Looking around, I find myself in the Great Hall watching Harry and Katie Bell talking before she walks away. Harry's eyes turn to me and I watch my view shift as I run out of the Great Hall in a rush. I can feel Draco's heart hammering in his chest and I can feel his body starting to shake in regret. _**

**_Bracing my hands on a sink, I can feel my heart break as Draco stares at himself in the mirror with teary eyes after ripping his vest off. I can feel his body getting warmer from his heightened emotional state. I hear Harry's voice behind him and I watch as his school persona replaces the heartbreak and guilt that was settled on his face before. I watch him become stone faced and angry. _**

**_"I know, what you did, Malfoy. You hexed her, didn't you?" _**

**_Turning, I can see Harry through Draco's eyes and can feel the anger and guilt radiating throughout his entire body. Before I can comprehend the look in Harry's eyes, I'm watching my arm throw a wordless hex at him that misses as I duck behind the nearest stall. The sink behind where I was standing moments ago breaks and water starts to spray everywhere. _**

**_Risking a step from behind the stall, I throw another hex at Harry, but he hides behind the stall. Glancing out again, I don't see him so I get down on my knees and start to look under the stall where I see his feet across the way._**

**_After a few moments, I see Harry's head peak under the stall so I throw another hex at him before taking off in a sprint. Throwing hexes behind me, I can feel hexes missing my body until I see Harry standing in front of me again._**

**_"Sectumsempra!" Flying backwards, I find myself on the ground in the worst pain in my life. It's worse than the Cruciatus Curse and I can feel my warm, blood seeping onto the water filled tiles as I battle to stay awake. Every sob that goes through my body has my body convulsing in pain and the part that breaks my heart the most is how he's thinking of moments with me to distract himself from the pain._**

**_I watch my own face as he proposes to me. I watch myself laughing as he wakes me up with kisses in the morning. My smile lights up every corner of his mind with every kiss, moment, hug, and love making moment we've shared. He's remembering me like he'll never see me again because he thinks he's dying. _**

Pushing myself out of Draco's mind, I can see Snape has focused on healing him once more and the deep gash in his chest, stomach, and arm are all almost healed. I watch as his body relaxes as the pain disappears and I can feel his mind slip into a state of unconsciousness in relief. I take a deep breath and let it out in a stuttering breath at the fact that he's not in pain anymore before glancing at Snape.

"I saw," is all he says to me. "You need to go before you're spotted, Briar. I will watch out for him. It's almost time for him to complete his task and we can't risk the Dark Lord seeing you," he reasons. I nod my head knowing Draco's plan to confront Dumbledore on the Astronomy Tower was going to be soon, but I don't want to leave him until I know he's okay.

"Sev, I can't…" I trail off and stare at Draco's sleeping face. Thankfully there's no ounce of pain marring his handsome features anymore, but I can see he's playing the battle over and over in his mind and remembering the pain.

"You need to," he insists. "I will notify you of his progress, but you need to get out of here." His tone calls for no discussion, but I know for a fact I won't be listening to his advice. I nod my head and start to head to my old room to wait it out.

After dodging the busy hallways, I make it to the painting and see the doe hiding behind a tree and I smile in fondness as I remember the day I got it from Dumbledore. Shaking my head, I whisper "Aquamarine" and make my way into the room, but stop after closing the painting once I realize there's some things different in here.

For one, it smells like Draco's cologne. I take a deep breath and find my eyes watering as I remember his handsome face marred with pain not too long ago. Glancing around, I see a button up of his on the bed and I quickly walk over to pull it into my hands. Squeezing it to my chest, I press the soft fabric to my nose and inhale his scent before my eyes catch on the photograph of us from last Christmas on his nightstand. I smile as I remember clutching that photo in my hands before going to the Ministry of Magic thinking I was never going to see him again.

I lose track of time as I walk around the room and take everything in. From the closet filled with his clothes to the living room where I can see some letters strewn across the table from Molly. I smile fondly reading those as they are mostly just to keep him updated on my training over the past few months. It warms my heart to think she still wrote him letters after I woke up from the coma to keep him undated since I haven't been able to visit him in my dreams as much as I've wanted to. Training for thirteen hours a day will drain a person.

"Briar," Snape calls. I snap my head to the side from where I'm seated in the small living area with my couches and TV. "He's awake and asking for you. I figured I'd find you here," he mumbles in annoyance. I smile and quickly make my way to the Infirmary before I realize I'm still clutching his button up in my hands.

Making sure the coast is clear, I take a glance around and notice Draco is the only one in here tonight. Looking out the window, I can see the sun is setting as it streaks beautiful oranges, pinks, and yellows across the sky. Focusing my eyes on Draco, I can see the sun reflecting on his hair, making it look gold other than the light blonde, borderline silver like it normally looks.

_**Dray! **_

His head snaps to look at me and I see a small smile tug at his mouth before he looks around frantically.

_**You can't be here! Someone could see you!**_

Sending my mind out to the surrounding area, I can feel that we're the only two here. Madam Pomfrey stepped out for dinner so we have about thirty minutes before she's back.

"We're the only ones here for about thirty minutes," I explain as I quickly make my way over to him. I climb into bed with him with no hesitation and straddle him before wrapping my arms around his neck tightly. I can feel his arms wrap around me protectively as I bury my nose into his neck. His warmth grounds me and I feel like I can breathe again now that he's not bleeding on the floor.

"Stealing my clothes, huh?" His tone is teasing and I can tell he's trying to make me laugh to lighten the mood, but I'm not in the mood. His button down is now on my lap pressed between our bodies and I pull back to clutch it my chest again instead of my arms being around his shoulders. Looking down, I avoid his eyes as I feel the tears start to well up in my eyes.

"You can't do that," I whisper before I let out a sniffle. I can see Draco's playful smirk fall quickly from his face when I glance up quickly before looking back down at his shirt clutched to my chest. His hand cups my cheek and wipes away a rebellious tear that slid down my cheek.

"Hey, look at me," he says tenderly. I meet his eyes and can see my teary eyes reflecting in his baby blues. I sniffle in response. "I can't do what?" His eyes show clear concern and confusion and I have to keep my anger out of my voice.

"You can't scare me like that. You can't attack Harry or start fights. Not when we're so close to the war starting. I have enough worries and worrying about you dying on me…I can't…" I trail off as my throat closes up and another few tears leak out of my eyes without my permission.

"Oh, baby girl. Come here," he whispers. I lean forward to settle into the embrace he's offering and feel his lips press a soft kiss to my forehead before I curl into his chest. He holds me and rocks me slightly while I cry and it reminds me of the night his Aunt tortured me with the knowledge of what happened with my parents.

"You can't leave me," I whimper quietly, so quietly that I would be surprised if he heard me.

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispers into my hair and presses a kiss to my forehead before resting his lips there so I can feel him breathing me in and out. The feel of his breathe on my forehead grounds me enough for me to calm down and remind myself he's alive. After a few minutes of silence, I realize that the sun has crept past the horizon and it's completely dark outside now.

"When it is?" I can feel his body tense at my question. His arms curl around me tighter and I can feel his heartbeat pick up in his chest as he gulps in nervousness.

"Soon," he whispers and I can hear the slight tremble in his voice. Nodding my head, I pull myself closer to enjoy the comfort of his arms to fend off the feeling of sadness setting in at what tonight is.

Tonight's the night he has to kill Dumbledore and Snape will be Headmaster by morning.


End file.
